Death on Marylebone Road
I saw a biker under a truck,
From the top deck of the bus,
The passers-by stood and stared
At his helmet oozing blood
The distant whoop of the siren
Beat out the passing of his life
While the ambulance
Was stuck in normality
In the rush hour
With the world and its wife
Martin Addison, 04/07/2011
This is the first of what I hope will become a series of short poems of recollections from the daily commute to work – we’ll see 🙂
You have made a terrible experience into a moving tribute —
Thank you – it’s a memory from 20 years ago.
I agree with the previous comment martin. Lovely poem but Sad reality though…
Thanks Tony – Marylebone Road is always chocker in the morning rush. It’s very difficult for the Emergency Services to make any progress along there.
A fine poem that gave me a shudder. I used to ride a lambretta up the Old Kent Road every day – this edge of the North Yorks Moors is a touch more peaceful.
Thanks Harry – it was a really strange accident. The truck hadn’t run him down, he’d ridden into the back of the flatbed trailer which was at head height. He was a motorcycle cop and his fellow officer was trying to clear the traffic to get the ambulance through – I guess he knew that taking the helmet off would risk immediate death for his colleague. I don’t know the final outcome as the bus moved on. I will always wonder and I hope he made it but it didn’t look too good at the time.
2e0mca.uk 
Leave a comment