Almost an interesting conversation

I am an inveterate eavesdropper.

The other day, I overheard parts of a conversation.

“Conversation” was one of their words, actually,

and “people my own age.”

And other fragments:

“older people” and “physics, that must be hard.”

I could have perhaps butted in.

But I was at least twice their age -

and male.

They were two young women, walking.

It’s tough to meet people

who want to have a conversation

at any age.

I know that sometimes eyes glaze over when I say

I write poetry,

so instead I talk about the weather

and about what I did the other day.

I might have butted in.

What’s the worst that could have

happened? They might have given me

empty smiles and quickly turned away from me.

What were the chances that we could

have had anything interesting to say

to each other, anyway?

Oh, it was almost a beautiful day.

And I almost overheard an interesting conversation

the other day.