Friday, 14 February 2014
Only yesterday
It happened only yesterday, I know this for it was light, then dark, and now light again.
They say time flies when you are having fun, I know now beyond any doubt that it certainly crawls when you are not.
I know it was only yesterday, but time is passing so slowly it seems like months ago.
The Harley lay across my back and shoulders, eighteen thousand dollars worth of scrap metal mingled with a priceless amount of scrap flesh and bone.
The leaf mould and soil beneath my cheek feels cold and damp, the small creatures scurrying over my face serve as a reminder that I still live, from the neck up anyway.
I hear a car pull to a stop, a door slam, footsteps, loud on blacktop, softer on the slope of the ditch.
Salvation, of a sorts.
I cannot look towards my tomorrows, I am afraid for what they may bring, and for what they may leave behind.
I wish for only yesterday.
©2014 Stephen. J. Green.
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Touching. I like the somber feel, and the pacing lends well. Very concise.
ReplyDeleteThank you David. :-)
DeleteOh, very visceral and touching.
ReplyDeleteThanks Catherine. :-)
DeleteOh so sad, full of regret. Let's hope the future is not too dim for him.
ReplyDeleteHi Helen. I think he may have a broken neck, he'll probably need to make a few adjustments to his lifestyle.
DeleteExcellent piece!
ReplyDeleteThank you Laura. :-)
DeleteAs a motorcyclist, I can understand this one completely. OUCH!
ReplyDeleteI had a few spills on bikes myself when I was younger Larry, but nothing as serious as this guy has had.
DeleteI liked the play of scrap metal and scrap flesh, and that moment of clarity.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kymm, the sentence does lend itself to gory images, doesn't it?
DeleteVery well written :) I like how the couple of sentences about having the "Harley across his back" tells you pretty much all you need to know.
ReplyDeleteThanks Casey, I try to keep things short whenever possible, and it's nice when it works. :-)
DeleteThis had a real lyricism about it which only added to the wistfulness & regret oozing through the words
ReplyDeleteThank you Marc, I think there are probably many bikers in the world that have cause to regret taking a bend too fast, or failing to check their tyres.
DeleteHow very sad Steve! And how well written, huge story in but a few words, excellent!
ReplyDeleteThank you Deanna, I do enjoy producing these short pieces. :-)
DeleteSo often we want to forget about yesterday, leave it in the past and move ahead. At times like this, however, yesterday is more precious than any amount of gold. A well-told story, Steve.
ReplyDeleteThank you Stephen. the thing with accidents and tragedies is that there just is no going back to before they happened.
DeleteOh, he's pretty busted up isn't he? :( I hope his yesterday meets his tomorrow and remains as a reminder how precious the careless days are, those yesterdays of our lives we so easily pass onto the morning, without knowing what it might bring. Very well-told story, Steve and great vivid descriptions of the painful fragments.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Cindy.
DeleteI think we tend to waste a lot of the time we have, and when something happens to us that limits our capabilities we can only wish that we had done those things that we are no longer able to do while we had the chance. Yesterday can never be regained, can it?
This is really vivid! He's lucky to be alive at all (if lucky is the right word) if he's been lying on the side of the road not being able to feel anything from the neck down.
ReplyDeleteThanks Katherine, I think he is actually debating with himself whether "Lucky" is a suitable word for his predicament.
DeleteI liked the structure of this one, Steve. And it's a reminder to be thankful.
ReplyDeleteThank you Richard, and I agree, many of us take our physical health and fitness for granted, until tragedy strikes.
DeleteVery visceral and melancholy at the same time. Exceptional.
ReplyDeleteThanks Icy. :-)
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