a memory

Penny Lane, Rainow, Cheshire

warm stone walls
surround a sheltered back yard
a little girl
a tricycle
bees buzzing
from flower to flower
the little girl
tries to be quiet
don't disturb the neighbours!
they don't like
noise 
children playing 

the glossy black cat
darts past
she follows it
through the kitchen where mum is cooking
shush, your sister's asleep!
quiet
the cat dashes past
the little girl
follows
strokes warm soft fur
leave the cat
alone!
the cat slips into the nursery
the little girl
follows

later
maybe the same day
a strange bed
many beds
orderly rows
walls
windows
daylight
the nurse tells her she's been lucky
a little boy
bandages
he was hurt

a boy in the cab of dad's old lorry
worn-out brakes

the house 

with the warm, sheltered back yard
at the foot of a steep hill
was no longer
there

playing with her cat
a little girl 
lost
under rubble
stone walls
the warm sun
a tricycle
a soft warm cat

they moved the stones

got her out

She was lucky
many more moments
a whole life
the noise of children playing
gazes
breaths
memories
fragile lives
warm sheltering walls

one day
the memories
the moments
will end

for now there are
more memories
moments

a whole life

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This incident occurred very early in my life, and was probably my first conscious encounter with life's fragility and transience. The memories are fragments; images, smells, colours and sounds. I was small when this happened in Rainow in 1970, but in my mind the images are still fresh... The little row of houses was demolished when a lorry lost its brakes; thankfully, there were no fatalities, though the driver's son was seriously injured. I remember everyone's surprise when our cat and even the neighbour's budgie escaped unharmed.

images from http://www.rainow.org/