A woman panhandles on a traffic island
standing behind a cardboard sign
I bring my motorcycle alongside her
Something about her strikes me as odd
A green van in front of me
heads under the bridge
As I pass the woman, I notice
she is a double amputee
remounted now on aluminum
and rubber, maybe a vet
The green van stops suddenly
–metal on pavement
like a trash can full of gravel
thrown from a truck
The road stands up
and skids sideways
against my helmet
bees buzzing in my ears
A blond woman from the UK
with white glasses leans over me
her mouth moving kindly
but nothing coming out
