Man Trapped on a Bridge

[Mark Dohle]

Man Trapped on a Bridge

Wesley Chapel is a busy street,
rush hour traffic is slow but relentless,
people focused on what is in front of them,
often blinded by what is around them,
especially when it is dark with limited vision
created by the oncoming traffic.

Driving half blind we were.

So I was there one night, with a fellow monk,
on the way to the hospital,
and moving slowly, relentlessly towards I-20,
when suddenly before me, on my right,
surrounded by the flood of cars,
almost invisible until you got on top of him,
just standing there straddling two lanes,
stood a man,
what made it more terrifying
he had two crutches.

He was motionless, looking down,
frozen in place, and I would think in great fear,
and the cars passed him by, as I did.

I stopped at a light and called 911
trying to stay focused on where this was
not letting my agitation confuse me.

“What is your emergency the man asked”

I responded.,
,
A man stranded,
alone,
surrounded by the flood of traffic,
almost invisible to the drivers,
seemingly elderly,
frozen in place,
terrified,
he is going to be killed
unless someone gets there soon.

The response was quick, and I was told kindly
that someone was on the way now.

I can’t get the image out of my mind,
a human island,
the flood of cars,
invisible,
in danger of death.-Blr.MD