In central London, station and homeward bound, I strode –
Powering alongside the six-laned road:
Swinging pace, feeling strong, invincible
Amongst the crowds of strangers and bustle.
I didn’t see the paver unevenly lurking,
Poised to pounce and send me sprawling.
The shattering impact marked by immediate thought:
‘Get up my girl,’ (my mother’s voice), ‘get on, you ought
To use the adrenaline to get to Paddington –
Hope nothing’s broken, sort it out on the train’.
Fighting the shock of being literally laid out
Face down on cold concrete at tyre and heel level,
Realising you can’t go lower than that:
One minute you’re sky high-
The next one , down flat.
And the kind stranger who lifted me up, picked up my things
Saying, “bet that’ll hurt later… but you’re Ok? … it’ll sting…”
And checked I was upright and walking before walking on her own way :
“Thank-you”, whoever you were. That’s all I want to say.
Jo Hansen 