As I walked beside the lake, heading
to the lower pond, a flash of light
caught my eye. Curious, I turned
in its direction and spotted a man
at a picnic table by the swing set
beside the park’s only shelter,
a laptop and a stack of books
spread before him. My first impulse
was to walk on, leaving him to study
undisturbed. But the sight
was so unusual, that I couldn’t help
but approach him. “I just wanted,”
I said as he looked up and smiled,
“to say hello to a man who is wise
enough to choose a place as quiet
and nourishing as this in which to study.”
He grinned. “It certainly beats
my dorm room,” he said.
“Well, may you become your class
Valedictorian!” I said, waving
farewell as I resumed my walk
and he returned to his studies.
When I was far enough away
that he wouldn’t notice
I snapped a picture of him.
Someday, maybe I’ll tell folks
that I encountered him once
when he was just a student,
studying in a patch of pines.