Down But Not (Yet) Out

One minute

you’re leaving the supermarket

balancing a satchel of groceries

and a pumpkin pie

the next you’re down

I mean all the way down

splayed on the concrete

accepting a much-older gentleman’s hand

to hoist back to your feet

In this moment you realize

maybe you’ve reached a new life stage

the falling-down-needing-help level

and it sinks in

that you’re no longer as strong

as you always thought you were

in fact you’d be totally useless

in the coming apocalypse

zombie or otherwise

You ponder this development

already in pain

from just this one episode

as you shakily limp away and drive

but also giving many thanks

because you didn’t hit your head

you didn’t break your hip

and most importantly

the pumpkin pie is unscathed

Argh! #22 of 30 Poems in November to benefit the Center for New Americans. Today’s theme is ZOMBIES.