When did it become surprising
for a stranger passing on the sidewalk
to offer a nod or even a hello?
Perhaps it is a matter of geography,
in some states, the warmer ones,
it does seem much more common,
or perhaps it is a matter more local,
common in this neighborhood
not nearly so much in that one,
and downtown it is a complete rarity.
But here it is the rule not the exception
because it is in the South,
because it is this neighborhood,
because here there is no downtown,
or simply because the loneliness
and isolaton that has washed over us
like Noah’s flood has left us
craving for actual human contact
even if it is a hello in whatever accent.