NEPHART.COM

Maybe he didn’t know anymore

who said what
who did what

then

a ball

came out of nowhere

and struck his head

he fell

flat on the ground

four
five people

stood before him

laughing

pointing at him

as if his pain
were something funny

he wanted to say something

but nothing came out

anger was rising

his head was pounding

and there was no hand
reaching down to lift him

his eyes blurred

the scene changed

or maybe
he did

he got up

brushing the dust
from his clothes

the faces that had been laughing
were already far away

he walked on

a little further

some children were climbing a wall

watching a few girls
playing basketball
in a small field

they called out

“Come on
get up here

let’s tease the girls”

He kept walking

where is she

the one I was with

where is she now

and why am I finding myself
in a place like this?

He did not stop

An old man
stood in the middle of the road

holding out a snake

asking for money

there was something
about his performance

the snake
the begging
the holiness of it

that made him feel tired

he walked on

until evening

until the sun
began to sink

until he reached
the river beside the bridge

the current was still moving

the water catching
the last light of the day

he stood there

doing nothing

for once

nothing seemed
to be asking anything from him

then

a bicycle came towards him

the handlebar
brushed against his hand

his fingers tingled

and just before
pain began

one second before

the cyclist

stopped

turned around

looked at him

and said

“Watch out.

You’re gonna die someday.”

Then he rode away.