Genuflect ~ Saturday, 26 October 2019

As Mr. Gabidar descends 

briskly the pale gray concrete steps, 

under the second floor window 

left open in July, he finds 

lost from her comrades, a bullet, 

entire, unused, dropped by mistake, 

troubled by this strange encounter 

on his way to work, he glances 

nowhere especially profound, 

as the metal jacket glistens, 

catching his eye, he stoops to snatch 

otherwise dangerous ordnance, 

nimbly reaching down to pocket 

cartridge case carelessly misplaced, 

reeling from his find, Gabriel 

ends up going back up the stairs, 

turning the key inside its lock, 

entering the front door and up...

slipping on the marble staircase, 

twisting his ankle at the top, 

only the bullet in his hand 

opens fire on impact, shooting 

pain into Mr. Gabidar... 

close call, the bullet grazed his cheek, 

left hand singed by spent cartridge, 

only his humility lost, 

saved by his own misadventure, 

even his boss could not believe, 

but found on the doctor's report, 

yes, Mr. Gabidar skipped work, 

a nurse bandaged his face and hand, 

smothering him in the process, 

miserable Mr. Gabidar 

on the phone to his wife explains 

the problem of proximity 

he encounters with strange people, 

except she has much more concern 

regarding his welfare than hear 

insipid remarks on nurses, 

noting her indifference to him 

giving her all his frustrations, 

she tells him she's glad he's okay, 

only then he realizes 

under different circumstances, 

the fact he's alive and breathing 

has not dawned on him otherwise, 

everyday is an adventure, 

recognizing the southern sea, 

nestled on a map of Europe, 

seems to awaken Gabriel, 

ever attentive to details 

and strange things out of place, his life 

surfaced like the sea, spreadeagled, 

placed on the globe with intention, 

resourceful Greek sailors swept past, 

ever so playfully, his mind, 

a thought arose and disappeared, 

disappeared behind a locked door, 

eagles of the Aegean Sea, 

as he sat in a hard wheelchair, 

given his slight frame, his buttocks 

longed to rest on a gurney bed, 

even better his bed at home, 

difficult to explain his need, 

on the face of things, to get up, 

not say anything and just leave, 

a hospital is no island, 

no indeed, his home was a mile 

in the direction of sunrise, 

since the sun rises in the east, 

little did he see his logic 

and how bewildered he appeared, 

no, he needed cognitive tests 

done before he could leave, to see 

behind the facade of his face, 

yes, this eccentric little man 

must face hospital staff for hours, 

yesterday, he could not foresee 

kind people paying attention 

not to his warped sense of humor, 

even though, hospital staff laugh, 

emergencies take precedence. 

---

Acrostic Format Derived From: 

"Henry's Confession" by John Berryman 

A bullet on a concrete stoop 

close by a smothering southern sea 

spreadeagled on an island, by my knee.