A rainsoaked wooden plaque,
Forlorn against a bridge parapet
And almost obscured by
Floral tributes.

Wavering slightly in the rain,
Leaves of trees rooted far below
By the still water that forms
An oasis of calm so close
To the madding crowds of cars
Jostling on rush hour roads.

This is where and how
You are remembered.

Your face was one I never knew,
But the love so many have
For you is almost tangible
Through the autumn rain
Into which I must shortly step.

Somehow all this hurrying now
Seems in vain, and I see
A million perfect examples of
‘More haste, less speed’, delaying
One another by their desire
To get home quickly.

I wonder if it was haste
That brought your life to a final stop,
Or was it some reason I will
Never guess?

Whatever the reason, and
Wherever you are, I hope you know
That so many people loved you,
And that a passing stranger
Thought of you.

10/01/2004

Posted on 10/03/2004
Copyright © 2024 Richard Vince