A sinuous, snaking act

The earth is moving through great change, its peoples reeling and unsettled
The fear is palpable, yet still we follow the flock and he who stands out is heckled
Tales from across the globe seem unreal, inflated like the evil of the villain in a superhero story
We stand, wait, hold our breath and become blasé in the face of acts previously unthinkable and gory

Recession, depression, depravation, slavery, murder, rampage and tragedy
Man seems want to breed nothing but hatred, set on revenge he goes on savagely
The planet reels under the weight of what we have achieved, nothing short of a miracle it is said
When will we know we have gone too far? When the skies are empty and the seas are dead?

So to the man, everyman on the dirty, noisy, overwhelming city street
He could be anyone, anywhere in the world simply desperate to stay on his feet
A good man; he helps old ladies reach biscuits on high shelves in the supermarket
He likes public holidays in the sun and camping even when everything gets wet

Our everyman gives to charity, signs for GiftAid, recycles his plastic, paper and glass
He works hard, pays tax, watches out for the neighbourhood kids when they play on the tiny patches of grass
He is an innocent in a world with horror, war, scandal and upheaval all around
Brave when necessary, kind always, he worries over the rubbish which litters the ground

Beloved man; easy to love since he is so trusting, worthy, sweet and humorous
In the evening lamplight, when time seems gently slow his eyes become luminous
Music is his heart and his step, his passion burns for the song which touches unspoken emotion
Rhythm and life, his heart beat reassuring and strong, lovely when still but better in motion

Honourable friend, truly honourable; never to take what is not his or to snatch more than a fair share
Our everyman went to help, to rescue a mate in need where his car had stopped dead; they should not have been there
The radiator was dry, they sought to quench its thirst but the engine stuttered and would not take life
Unaware, they were, of the desperation driving the man who wandered close with a knife

Weapons all around, sheathed blades, holstered firearms, a broken bottle, a baseball bat
A single moment, a tensioning of muscle, an impulse and sinuous, snaking act
The knife is clear of its housing; another’s motive decides our adored friends’ fate in fact
Drawn inexorably together, one driven by need the other unsuspecting but destiny does not alter when belief or knowledge is lacked

Not brave before he is brave now. ‘Stand,’ he calls. ‘What harm done to you can I be responsible for?’
Attacker responds not, no break in his step, without reason on his tongue to justify an act of war
Not evil, nor dastardly later found simply an unwell man with no other to call friend
An accident of time and space, an unfortunate decision only brought him down this street at the last bend

‘Stand,’ beloved calls again, imploring the man whose ears are deaf to the needs of any but he
A single strike, elegant knife slicing silent, reticent air to make our loved one no more be
Blood, bright blood, shining with truth and injustice, spreading on the ground as a lake of life giving water
Nothing now can wash away the act, it is done. A good man by a disturbed one brought to slaughter

Excellent, beloved, adored man the story rings and even those not knowing him shed a tear
Torn away, smote wrongly and badly. ‘In heaven now’, a card says. ‘You should yet be here.’
The world spins on, the story fades. Forgotten is our hero by all but a few
I am devastated day on ruined day, every moment my heart sings ‘I still love you.’