Popular Posts

Friday 17 May 2013

Viewpoints


A brown and yellow ball
rolled from the square
between parked cars
and into the road.
The ball was followed
by a small boy (brown
shorts and yellow top).
A speeding car avoided him
and stopped a few yards
further on. The boy
had fallen to the ground
so that most bystanders
thought he had been hit.
Two men, one of them the
boy's father, dragged
the driver from the car
to remonstrate with him
before calling the police.
The boy was inconsolable --
the ball having been squashed.

15 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Better the boy inconsolable than the father - or the driver.
And, I do hope that the father and his friend did some investigation before their remonstrations became too physical.

Carl said...

I have sense this played out differently in alternate universes. Or mayb the alternate you wrote different versions in different universes.

Anonymous said...

This is wonderfully told -- just the facts, sir - and very funny and effective. I hope they didn't "remonstrate" too vigorously. k.

Brian Miller said...

interesting how you have distilled this down...are they facts? or are they perceptions of facts? smiles. poor ball

Mary said...

I do hope that the father apologized to the driver of the car. The ball can be replaced...the boy will eventually realize! I like the story here, Dave. This is a favorite of mine.

kaykuala said...

In some societies they 'shoot first and ask questions later' In which case they would've pulverize the driver first before getting the facts. Nicely Dave!

Hank

Ygraine said...

Serious subject, I know, but so funny!
Do hope this wasn't a true story, Dave - for that poor driver's sake! Haha:D

Cloudia said...

Life! Well realized incident.



Aloha

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

A snapshot I feel so much on target, I could have been that boy.

A Cuban In London said...

Indeed, two viewpoints and how well you captured them. I loved your poem. Many thanks.

Greetings from London.

haricot said...

I'm glad to know the safe of the boy and then realized the reality with some different point of view. The viewpoints happened all at once...

Dave King said...

Apologies for having gone AWOL the whole weekend!

Elephant's Child
I agree - and I understand (for I did not see the incident through to its conclusion) that the police (in the shape of two community support officers) arrived before any violence broke out.

Carl
That could well be -- it would explain some aspects.

manicddaily
No, I believe they did not.

Brian
Definitely perceptions of facts - the only "facts" I believe in.

Mary
Thanks for this Mary. Very pleasing to hear.

Hank
Very true. I'm glad I don't live in one of those societies!

Ygraine
It was a true story, but it still has its funny side I think.

Cloudia
Thanks.

Tommaso
Guess I could have been that dad!

A Cuban in London
Thanks for saying so.

haricot
Yes, they did happen all at once - and therefore so easy to overlook one or another, I think.






Brian Miller said...

good to see you today man....happy monday!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I have the same questions Brian has - are these real events or fiction? Regardless, brilliant work.

Leovi said...

Yes, reality is not always correctly perceived, especially when we let ourselves be carried away by the passions. Greetings.