Country Walk

I noticed you but you don’t notice me, 
Bastard people! 
Happy family group, adults walking abreast, 
Kids slithering all over the place. 
Where is my                                                                social distance?

 

And so I insinuate myself
into
The hedge line
Pretending to admire the landscape.
My back to you people,
Because covering my mouth and nose 
Would seem too
Aggressive.

 

Thank you
Thank you
You say.
That’s all very well 
But why am I the one pressed against the fence
While you rejoice in the largesse
Of space put to your own use.

 

And cyclists
So convinced that physique trumps pestilence.
Heads down, taking in full breaths of lovely country air.
Panting out what filthy metropolitan miasma?
Close enough to smell the last body wash.
So don’t tell me I’m safe from you!

 

Noticing isn’t hard. Not like seeing, or reflecting on, or making a mental note. 
It only needs a glance, a tiny comprehension of placing in the world 
Which I inhabit in such a small way.
While you........!

 

Anonymous