Should’ve
I should’ve
crossed the road
light rain falling
somewhere else to be
would have been
a small incursion
in my day
just saw him
walking slowly
slightly stooped
I knew who it was
in an instant
I should’ve
crossed the road
to have
walked
alongside him
quizzed him
about life’s journey
dumfounded
I could only stare
as the
older me
shuffled away
life’s questions
now left
for me
to age into
I should’ve
crossed the road.
Andrew Ballard lives in Adelaide. Following his time as a petty officer medical in the Royal Australian Navy for 11 years, he worked for medical companies selling devices and instruments, then as a support worker in mental health and support worker and first aid instructor in aged care. With systemic mastocytosis, he took early retirement, and took up digital art and writing. His poems have been published by TAMS (The Australasian Mastocytosis Society), in the US in the New Jersey Mignolo Arts Group’s journal and the New York poetry journal “Open Skies”, and previously in “Poet’s Corner”.
Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.
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