Road Side Scene

Why is life like this?
An amal-gum
An amalgamation
One big analogous remnant
Look there...it's gone
Before you've turned to look
The gift horse was right there
Studiously avoiding eye contact
WIth the gift rider.

Hello you want to say
To all of them
Those poor dears
Looking through you
You're alive right?
you're here now?
But now I see you're not
You are already a glimpse
Which makes you older than the hills
Remember them?
Where you walked arm in arm
With your father
The long man of Wilmington

The gathered hoard at roadside
May as well be in period costume
Catering off to one side
A bombed out house facade
Instead it's a doubled up volvo
A volvo!
You double up.
Female middle aged driver
Sat on Ercol chair on the pavement
How neighbourly
Pine teeters on paving slab
Can you retrive my keys?
She enquires (supercilious old bag)
My garage key is on it you see.

You're all alive right?
Here now yes?
That is absurd isn't it?
Her car is folded in half.
But trauma does this to us.
Like the Newly elected pope
Remembering to cancel his newspaper delivery
Halfway back around the world.
What a thoughtful old man.
What a victim.

Why is life like this?
The meaning is always on the tip of your tongue
As you lick your finger
To turn over a new leaf.