The Old Man

Behind the fence, I stood;

Looking at the house I once lived in

I shouted the name of the old man

So many years had passed

Since I'd seen him

 Tangled roots like snakes

  were crawling up the hill

Those two familiar trees in the yard

had me, reminiscing childhood playing  

 My companions looked at me, concerned

 The things I saw, they were not seeing  

 Then I saw the old man walking down the hill

 Up to the edge of the fence he slowly came

  I tried to step over, just to touch him;

  A long time ago he had been my kin

 But  he looked at me indifferently

His eyes were cold and held a warning

He was a different man than I remembered

and had no time to just stand still, and though

 we parted with smiles and promises given

 I knew I would never go back home again