Ode to Olive

I was walking through downtown Denver one chilly evening when I met Denver’s street poet.

He was parked on the sidewalk, his writer’s desk, typewriter, and chair attached to his bicycle reminiscent of the rickshaws in Asia.

We got chatting and I learned that he writes poems on demand.

“Give me a topic,” he said, “and I’ll write you a poem.”

“Olive,” I blurted out “my dog”.

I shared a little about Olive with the poet, and he pounded out an “Ode to Olive” on his typewriter while keeping his warm, fingerless mittens on.

As I listened to his keys clatter noisily, I pulled out my camera and captured the moment.

Just a few minutes later, he pulled the poem out of his typewriter, signed it, and handed it to me in his mittened hands. It was cold.

I slowly read the poem, my face breaking into a smile. I raised my head and our eyes made contact just momentarily.

“Thank you! This is beautiful,” I said.

I was deeply touched. An unexpected, but lovely encounter with a stranger while walking through downtown Denver.

I took the time to stop, and wonder about the scene unfolding before me. In return, I got to know a little about Denver’s street poet who wrote me a beautiful poem to remind me of Olive on his Royal typewriter set up on the sidewalk.

What would you experience if you took a moment to stop and allow life to unfold just as it needs to?

This short essay is part of my series on Street photography.

Gear: Shot with Fujifilm x-t2 and the Fujifilm xf35mm f2 lens.

Eyeglasses on my Kitchen Counter