On a late afternoon, I went jogging in my neighbourhood.
 

Except for a few giant trees and the old stone house on the corner
 

I was older than everything I saw.
 

I was older than the asphalt that felt like the brittle bones of aging men,
 

Older than the sidewalk, older than the grass
 

Older than the houses all around.
 

And as I jogged, I grew older still,
 

Older than blonde roller blader in tight white jeans
 

Older than the street signs and the hydrants,
 

And older yet than all the lampposts or the highway.
 

There was a man from India
 

With light grey hair and protruding belly
 

Stuck on legs as thin as sticks.
 

I might not be older than him
 

Or the couple walking hand in hand taking tiny steps,
 

Their snow white heads bobbing towards each other.
 

But I was older than the man and woman
 

Showing their young daughter how to ride the bike
 

And I was older than the woman’s ample hips
 

And snug blue jeans as I jogged slowly
 

Up behind her at my leisure.
 

And I was older still by far
 

Than the muscle laden man
 

Who glared as I jogged by
 

And shared glances with his beautiful companion.
 

And I was more ancient than the young woman
 

Who wore a cap and dressed in shorts
 

And smiled as she let her dog drink water from a puddle.
 

As I walked back, all the cars and trucks were younger
 

And the young black man sitting blasting rap in his SUV.
 

The cat who sat right in the road
 

Was younger than me
 

Even though it looked at me for minutes
 

Before rubbing its soft body on my naked legs.
 

Much younger than me were the seagulls
 

Flying like skyfish above my head
 

And the great clouds that floated in the sky ocean
 

Like icebergs of mist.
 

But looming low in bright blue sky,
 

The yellow moon smiled and said,
 

“You are but an infant, a nanosecond of my life.”
 

I laughed and said, “old man, I’m here for some time yet.”
 

Looking up, I grinned and sprinted for my house,
 

A mere youth in the history of the world.