Papier-mâché skin,
pale and clad in plaid wool,
the old man stops to
fix his gaze on a crane.
A skeleton of scaffolding
and a skin of tarpaulin
embraces buildings that
have stood crumbling,
transforms them into
a structure more suited
for the public eye.
People on mobile phones
rush past in both directions,
politely ignoring
an old man staring
at inevitability.
