more childhood trauma and injury. lately i have been on a roll.
A Walk on Sunday
Between Crondolet and Forsyth, on Meramec,
we could walk on top of a planter box.
It was granite and grey.
It started low and got higher
as the sidewalk gently strayed downhill.
At about three and a half feet
Daniel lost his balance.
It was only a few inches wide
and he was pretty clumsy.
When he fell
his leg caught the drainage pipe.
He hit the sidewalk
and sprung right back up.
Both of us were staring
at the hole the pipe
had torn in his leg.
It hadn’t started bleeding,
just white and glossy
like inside a fish’s mouth.
Daniel jumped around on one leg
for a few seconds,
right hand holding onto his knee,
then with his left hand reaching
he eased himself to the ground.
I started screaming for help,
but it was Sunday,
and the streets were pretty empty.