Concussion

by Rohan Buettel


In hospital, hours later, I became aware 
Work needs to know, ‘What day is this?’ I dread …
Patiently my wife answered from the chair 
Saturday, ten times I have already said

Work needs to know, ‘What day is this?’ I dread …
Unusually quiet, I have given her a scare 
Saturday, ten times I have already said 
Neither question nor answer does memory bear

Unusually quiet, I have given her a scare 
In shards of recall, my body spread 
Neither question nor answer does memory bear 
Across bicycle path my cheek shred

In shards of recall, my body spread 
A security guard found me there 
Across bicycle path my cheek shred 
Called the ambulance, took me where

A security guard found me there 
Without a helmet you would be dead 
Called the ambulance, took me where 
They scanned both my arm and head

Without a helmet you would be dead 
Patiently my wife answered from the chair 
They scanned both my arm and head 
In hospital, hours later, I became aware


Rohan Buettel is an emerging poet. He lives in Canberra. His haiku have been published in Echidna Tracks, Creatrix, Frogpond, Kokako and Haiku Xpressions. His longer form poetry has been published in Quadrant.