Doppelgänger 

My wife and I were spending our Friday evening

Shopping for what was said to be hard times

 Like usual she walked ahead of me when something

 ―Perhaps someone―had caught her interest briefly

 I really don’t know . . . It’s not of importance anyway

 On the other hand I was moseying along people watching

 Yes I do that for I find it an interesting habit . . . I just do

 Going along and switching from hard-times items to people

 There came Andy toward me . . . but no it wasn’t him at all

 I had to speak so I told him he looked like my brother-in-law

 His hair clothes and his body all three' slouched about

 And he laughed and walked like Andy . . . just the same

 But more than anything were his eyes . . . yes brown

 Eyes without pupils . . . only dark brown . . . Andy’s eyes

 I told him to stand there a second for I had to find her

 I looked ahead and saw her so I quickened my step

 And then I took her by the arm and said come with me—now

 See who you think this person reminds you of

 As we walked toward him at first she smiled then stopped

 But next her eyes glistened as they welled with tears

 And she said I’d like to have a hug but I don’t . . . want . . . you

 To think I’m being forward . . . then he spoke laughingly

 Honey come over here . . . I’ll give you a hug

 Exactly something Andy might have said to her

 And we thought we had seen your brother the last time

 Fifteen years earlier . . . on that day of flowers and a hearse

©️Copyright 2022 By David Lee Thompson