He always walked backward,
all across town.
When you walk backward,
you have to slow down.
He could watch a tree
until it became as small as a flower.
He could watch a stranger
for almost an hour.
Once, he watched over a kitten
crossing the road to the other side.
And once, he walked by the ocean
and was hypnotized by the tide.
He always walked backward;
people thought it wasn’t wise.
When you walk backward,
every step is a surprise.
An amazing skyscraper
could just appear in sight.
An old friend can suddenly
make your day bright.
He once passed by a lion
and froze for a minute or two.
And one rainy day, he suddenly realized
the sky had become blue.
He always walked backward;
everybody wondered why.
The reason was
he didn’t like goodbyes.