rrodriguez

I remember the day

From a sidewalk on 182d Street

in the South Bronx,

I rode my bike fast,

made a furious turn,

flew to the street like Knievel

to crash head-on

into a coming car,

landed on the hood,

the panic-stricken driver

jumped out surprised

to see me still alive.

A terrible pain began,

I can’t remember which leg

but the pain gripped me,

tears streaming

down my face,

I got up and felt

my leg throbbing

with much pain,

a bump welt-up,

limping and in pain,

I walked away.

Fifty years passed,

I remember the day,

but the rest is erased

from my memory.