OLD WOMAN -

Memories decay and rust,
Fall away like leaves lost
To a standing, wounded tree.

In an unknown, rushing street
The roots of your mind are axed.
A taxi stops and you stare

At a man who could be your son.
The woman mouthing “Okay?”
Has a smile filed in your mind.

The city breaks before you,
The jigsaw of your life flung
To the rolling, heavy sky.

The keys in your pocket hurt,
They could open any door
To a room of shocked faces.

You drop a handful of coins
That sing along the pavement.
You are so far from home,

Looking for a school not yours,
Where a girl you never were
Sits in a room of strangers.

OLD WOMAN