FELT FOOTSTEPS

Felt footsteps on a steel bridge

in a mist. Beneath the paths' claw

a common, grey sunk into green.

Soon-to-be-splashed-by-learners-

river reflects a man who’s straight

from the front of a fridge-freezer.

Cartoon scarf in lines parallel

to his flapping trouser bottoms,

quiff and satchel. Does he hesitate

mid-stride or is your brain racing?

Has everything stopped? No.

You are still striding with fake

self-assurance. A medicated stumble

is always on the agenda during

walks in the afternoon, just as

the levetiracetam takes another

chunk of confidence away.

Soon coffee in the Box cafe.