Lost and Found

Walking home from the Library

I happened to look down

and there on the sidewalk

a shiny silver stylus

identical to the one I use

to tap out messages on my iPhone

I was more than excited

A new stylus costs ten to fifteen dollars

I could use a spare stylus

In fact, I had my own

in my trouser pocket

I reached in to get it to compare

it with my newfound stylus

Much to my surprise

my stylus wasn’t in my pocket

Then it dawned on me

The reason that this new stylus

looked identical to my old stylus

is that

I had dropped my stylus on the sidewalk

on the first half of my walk

and then I had found it again

on the second half

In brief, I had rediscovered my own stylus

This was extraordinary

What are the odds?

I was disappointed

not to have two styluses

but also fortunate not to have zero styluses

In retrospect, I was very lucky

The finder could have been a five-year-old child

Now I am curious how many things

I lose from my pockets on my walks

I am trying to be more vigilant