Sorry I ‘m late
got held up in the traffic
my whispered apology
was swept away in an understanding gesture
a nod and a smile
I slumped into my seat
he carried on with his lesson
How could I possibly tell him
I had to stop in the middle of a busy pavement
people and all the noise
and scribble down untidy hasty lines
on a crumpled piece of paper
as they were dictated
by a poem
