Today I saw a man in suspenders.

He had long black pants,

dress shoes,

and a white button-up shirt.

Perhaps he was attending his best friend’s wedding

Greased back,

his short black hair clung to his scalp.

Glancing into the mirror he smoothed

the stray strands back together.

Bending over he tied his shoe

and then the other.

He straightened his pants

and gave his shirt a tug.

Or maybe his great aunt’s funeral?

Acknowledging that everything was in place

he wandered to the edge of a bluff, hanging over the lake,

and put on his tie

Could he have been waiting on his date who was always running fifteen minutes late?

As he fiddled with the long piece of fabric

his eyes met the lake

and stayed there for quite some time.

Was he rehearsing the proposal he’s been planning for months?

He finished the knot and

placed his hands on his hips.

Eyes locking,

he stared past the seagulls.

Past the horizon.

Past the clouds and smog.

Could he be contemplating that job offer?

After a few minutes of gazing,

he strode back to his car and drove away.

I guess I’ll never know.