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/

et minne

Den lille husrekken

lune steinmurer omgir bakgården 
den lille jenten
trehjulsykkelen
bier summer i blomstene
hun prøver
å være stille
ikke forstyrr naboene!
de liker ikke
støy fra lekende småbarn
den svarte, myke katten
stryker forbi
jenten etter
gjennom kjøkkenet der mor ordner
ikke bråk, lillesøster sover!
vær stille, igjen
katten løper

den lille jenten etter
stryker varm myk pels
ikke plag katten!
katten smyger seg inn på barnerommet
jenten etter
så er det ikke mer

litt senere
kanskje samme dag
en fremmed seng
mange senger
på rad
langs veggene
på motsatt side vinduer
mange vinduer
dagslys
en pleier sier at hun har vært heldig
en liten gutt med bandasjer var
ikke like heldig
han satt på med bilen
pappen sin gamle lastebil
huset med den lune bakgården
nederst i en bratt bakke
brått stod det der
ikke mer

hun løp etter katten
ble borte
under knuste steiner
restene
av et hjem
steinmurene
den varme solen
trehjulsykkelen
katten

den lille jenten var 
heldig

ble funnet og gravd fram
fikk mange flere
øyeblikk
et helt liv
støy fra lekende småbarn
blikk
pust

Sauer i vinterlandskap

minner
alt det flyktige
lune steinmurer som omgir 

en dag er det 

ikke mer

det er mange dager
å ta av
enn så lenge