Friday, July 8, 2016

Losing Points


I lost points on Wednesday.  For my landing.  I just couldn't stick the landing.  I think the freefall was right on the money.  Very good form.  Just the landing wasn't good.   It was painful actually.

Before you think "motorcycle", it wasn't.

I drove home to PA with my daughter so she wouldn't have to drive alone with the two children.  It's a long ride with a four year old and a two year old... so I went along.  The next morning very bright and early, she drove me to the SEPTA commuter train to catch Amtrak in Philadelphia.  I gave her a hug before my leap to the train.  I was not supposed to leap, but somehow in looking at the train door I was heading toward, I inadvertently neglected to look down and notice that there were two concrete steps leading down to the concrete platform.  I ended up on hands and knees about two feet from the train.  I'm not sure that I didn't do a pirouette before the landing.  Pirouettes are always good for extra points.  Landing on hands and knees is not good for anything.
This is what I tried to focus on - just outside my window for much of the ride.
So instead of having a relaxing trip back, I had a very painful one.   Besides having exposed nerve endings on my right knee and ankle, a darkening lump on my left knee and minor scrapes on my elbow and palms, my right knee wouldn't allow me to put much weight on it.  I was confined to my seats for all parts of the journey.  I should write all of this journey down before I forget it, as it was so, so interesting on so, so many levels... from not having first aid kits on trains, to water floods being absorbed by mountains of paper towels (forcing the closing of one of the handicapped bathrooms), to being shuttled at top speed through South Station in a wheelchair while a Red Cap blew a whistle to clear my path to get me to a cab.

Yes, I must write this ALL down.  For it was almost an Alice in Wonderland adventure getting home on Wednesday.  By 9:30 pm, I was again at home, having not eaten all day...
I couldn't walk to the Cafe car, and there was absolutely NO TIME left between trains.

Yes.  I have to write this all down.  It is almost funny.  Almost.  Maybe tomorrow it will be funnier.

Right now, my knee is stiffening up and is quite sore.  It will be fine.  I just can't ride my motorcycle yet.

Skip this next picture if you are squeamish.  I'm showing much to much skin, or lack thereof.  The second picture is better.


My very scraped knee right after I cleaned it up a bit.

This took my mind off my problems as noted above.
At any rate, skipping through some of my work, I found this poem and noticed I had posted it on May 18, but being late on a Wednesday, there were no comments on it.  So I think I can post it again - it reminds me of my path this Wednesday... only in a better way!

A Writer's Path

I'm writing along
And humming a song,
I have to take care not to
                                     trip.
My words tumble out
And wander about;
The words are all doing a
                                      flip,
Omitting some there
Resitting them where
They're sensible, with the right
                                             clip;
Yes, that is the way
All writers convey
Their story, and end with a
                                      quip.

Donna JT Smith, 2016


Poetry Friday is at... let me go check!  BRB.  Sorry!  I needed to update my Poetry Friday list! 
So head on over to Katie's at the Logonauts for more poemy fare.

17 comments:

  1. Oh, my, Donna, how perfectly dreadful! Falling is so scary, and down two stairs!! I hope you have no lasting damage from it. What a clever poem to lift you up. We all need a quip or two in our emotional arsenal.

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    1. Concrete on train platforms is so very hard and rough... so you will have better traction! But knees just don't like grabbing onto concrete. It would appear in our lawsuit-loopy world we can now no longer supply people with first aid... until I got on the Downeaster staffed by Mainers, no one really wanted to acknowledge that I'd gotten hurt. It was a mere 11 hours after my fall, when a wonderful woman conductor got me my first cup of coffee for the day AND a real ice pack! I was so grateful for all her kindness!

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  2. I tripped on a curb once a long time ago, both hurtful and embarrassing. My first skinned knee since childhood I think. What a trip to endure, and I did think it was going to be a motorcycle story! I'm glad you ended with a "quip" of a poem!

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    Replies
    1. The embarrassment was lessened by the fact that only my daughter and one gentleman saw me fall. The worst part was that I had from 7 am to 8:30 pm to swell and stiffen.

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  3. So thoughtful of you to go with your daughter -- it's too bad the ride back ended up being such a "good story"! Makes you enjoy the boring trips with nothing to report, doesn't it?

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    1. Yes, it certainly does! I had been looking forward to this train ride, as I had little to carry, and plenty of time between trains. I was going to relax and totally enjoy visiting the cafe car and writing. None of that happened. Two trains were late because of bridge problems, a disabled train on the track, then stuck behind slower commuter trains, etc. - had to wait for wheelchairs, (one of which never came) almost missed the last train to my destination (they actually stopped the train's departure for me to hobble aboard - they never do that!) because we were an hour and a half late getting to South Station... oh, yeah. So much to write. I should have done it as it happened, but I just wasn't up for it then. I just wanted a cup of coffee...

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  4. Youchies. Sounds like you need to stick to motorbikes.

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  5. Oh my goodness, yikes! Glad you are able to make light of it now and really love the poem.

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  6. What a saga! Your post is the lemonade!!

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  7. Yowza! I like that even in the moment you were look for the humor ("It is almost funny. Almost.") Love your poem from "trip" to "quip". =)

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  8. Donna,
    Sorry about your injury. If I ever have to spend time in the hospital, I want you in the bed next to mine to keep my spirits up. I hope you are healing nicely.
    They say confession is good for the soul, so here I am admitting to my failure. I'm your second Yeatts Summer Poetry Swap partner and I'm horribly late in sending a poem to you. I'll get it in the mail today. Forgive me?

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    Replies
    1. Forgiven!! Of course! I am in no hurry... so don't you be either!

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  9. That gash under your knee looks like it might need stitches to heal properly, did it?

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    Replies
    1. The unfortunate thing about the knee is that it removed a lot of skin and fairly deeply. If they'd done stitches, it would have technically been a knee-tuck... or knee-lift. I was joking that ankle socks would have come to my knee then! Yeah, there wasn't anything left in the spot to stitch. It looks pretty gross. Just beginning a scab of grand proportions. As of Sunday I could walk again without support as the swelling had gone down. Still hurts, but getting a bit better every day!
      Cute aside: my yellow lab immediately knew I'd hurt myself when I got home even though the injury was covered by my skirt. She just wouldn't leave the spot alone - sniffing my knee and ankle and circling me in concern (it appeared to be concern - she didn't try to attack me like a shark would!)

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