that old man walking out

from the corner of my eye, I saw him. the old man. he was leaning heavily on his cane. he was walking slowly but purposefully. his steps were sure. his back was so bent from the weight of some unseen huge burden.  he had his head bowed. although his head was hooded, strands of his long, unkempt, white hair still managed to flow out from under the hood. I was guessing he was bearded as well. long, pale-white beard. a regular Merlinesque old guy.

where's he going? 

of course, he's on his way out.  out from our lives. his name's 2014, by the way, and he's just twelve months old, but, look at him -- he's tired, he's beat, he' sad.   he feels, he knows there were more bad things than good things that happened during his sojourn with us.

more devastating calamities, super typhoons, record-breaking climate changes,

more unwarranted deaths, more unwanted births,

more instances of man's inhumanity to man,

more hate than love, 

more turmoil than peace.

i saw when he cast this furtive glance at this little kid by the wayside. so innocent looking, so full of promise. his name's 2015. 

" do better than me, kid! " 

that's what that fleeting glance told. it was but a moment's eye contact. the old guy allowed himself to disappear in the confusion of the fireworks's mesmerizing lights and the deafening roar of firecrackers.

it is my hope that the little kid understood.  it is my fervent prayer.