{"id":691,"date":"2012-12-20T11:29:12","date_gmt":"2012-12-20T11:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/starstrewnsky.net\/satellite\/?p=691"},"modified":"2012-12-20T11:39:49","modified_gmt":"2012-12-20T11:39:49","slug":"691","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/starstrewnsky.net\/satellite\/?p=691","title":{"rendered":"Footloose"},"content":{"rendered":"

I recently returned from a small Island off the coast of Vietnam where I had a motorbike accident. \u00a0I had hoped the serenity of the island would help me focus on writing, but the only writing I did was on the back of an envelope just after my accident.\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s somewhat disjointed (the writing, not the foot) but I was probably still in shock, I reproduce it here nonetheless:<\/p>\n

I’m lain on a gurney in a tiny Vietnamese hospital. I’ve just had stitches to close a gaping wound in my foot after a motorbike accident.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

A woman is dying noisily in the room behind me.<\/em><\/p>\n

Another, even more serious accident is in the cubicle beside me.<\/em><\/p>\n

A man name ‘Luck’ translated for me. He’s the general manager of where I’m staying. He sat with me, “you’ll be fine”, he said – but he left during the stitches, looking queasy.<\/em><\/p>\n

Luck!\u00a0A one armed, few toothed man just wandered into the hospital, selling lottery tickets.<\/em><\/p>\n

My blood was spurting out on the red clay road.<\/em><\/p>\n

I tumbled and slid on my right hand side. <\/em><\/p>\n

My Frankenstein monster foot, in stitches.<\/em><\/p>\n

I was a boy the last time I had stitches.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Foot feels weird, taut, numb.<\/em><\/p>\n

Will the pain return?<\/em><\/p>\n

Oh, the people I love. \u00a0I love them.<\/em><\/p>\n

A man staunched my wound with a ripped open cigarette, the nicotine leaves sopping up my blood and stinging into my system.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

“What can I do?” I asked myself on that red clay road.<\/em><\/p>\n

Life is not to be taken for granted.<\/em><\/p>\n

I love you. If ever I have loved you. I love you.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n