The Adversary

I was walking down the street,

Minding my own business, keeping to myself,

Bopping to the music threading through my one earpiece.

Work is over! It’s the weekend!

And I have a hot date with a cool bed.

The hair on the back of my head reminds me

I live in a city of questionable ethics,

Gone is the Pax Romana, of naked virgins

Carrying sacks of gold, unmolested.

My peripheral vision is filled

With tiny puffs of breath intaken,

And the swishy shadows

Of a thing trying to hide.

Fine.

Didn’t I already choose the bear?

Well. A canister of mace

And five years of martial arts

Will be most welcome

If they don’t get the hint.

I pick up the pace, hear a shuffle-skip,

Someone – or something! –

Is pacing my quickened pace!

Too late to take the bus,

Too early to cut through yards,

Too far to lose it in the swamps.

My breath quickens in anticipation

As the footsteps get even faster

Trying to outstrip my toned body-

I go to the gym for a reason!

In a way, I trained for this.

No longer a child!

No longer too weak to fight!

I will make sure you don’t harm anyone else!

****

I wake up in the hospital,

Bruised, beaten, sore, aching.

Back thrown out, knees in pain.

Meds, lots of meds. All the meds.

What, all of them?

Ugh.

I tripped backwards over a sofa?

Didn’t see that coming.

Damn you, Old Age,

You don’t play fair.