Retired engineer

It seemed like forever

he married his wife

raised two boys

worked as a engineer

and moved to the sunny coast

He diets a bit

walks his neighborhood

pulls a re-engineered golf cart

behind him as

he picks up trash

A small cooler and two buckets

one for garbage and one for recycling

a self-imposed sentence

his community service

for living the good life

He cleans his corner

of the universe

and reports only

to the voice

inside his head

Today, he and his wife

pulled off the interstate

to rest and

visit a cousin

he hadn’t seen in years

As they drive north

to watch the woods

change colors

one last time

before winter sets in

10-17-19