Saturday, 20 March 2021 21:01

He's Behind You

Written by
in Poetry
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He's Behind You

He's Behind You

by Sally Flint, with image by Martin Gollan

My shoes aren't suited for walking fast,
home's only minutes away ̶ I'm gripping
a door-key in my hand when, out of a gateway,
a shifting shadow, taller than me. Is it the man
from the bar who lined up shots, a random stranger
a rebuffed colleague ̶ maybe the ally of an ex
who's picking up pace? What if he demands a light
for a cigarette, asks directions. Now he's closing in
calculations thud about my body. I've taken self-defence
classes, my hair isn't long, blonde and in a ponytail.
My throat tightens. I've no choice; I stop:
face all the men who've ever thrown a woman to the ground.

Read 2366 times Last modified on Saturday, 20 March 2021 21:07
Sally Flint

Sally Flint lectures in creative writing and co-edits Riptide Journal at the University of Exeter, and is a tutor with The Poetry School.