Monday 2 March 2020

Always Running

by Nick Gisburne



She was happy, always happy
and she had a little money
just a little in her savings
and she saw it in the window
and she liked it, then she loved it
and she simply had to have it
so she bought it, and she wore it
and she wanted me to see it
and she ran onto the pavement
she was running, always running
she was running when I met her
so excited, she was laughing
and the laughing made her breathless
but she had to find a crossing
and she saw the bus arriving
it was there and it was waiting
and she recognised the number
but it wouldn’t wait forever
and the traffic, always busy
if she waited she would miss it
but the road, she had to cross it
and the gap between the traffic
could have been a little bigger
but it looked enough to make it
and she saw it and she did it
and she ran as fast as ever
she has always been a runner
and the woman tried to stop her
and she said she almost had her
but she’s always been a runner
she was running when I met her
so the woman couldn’t do it
but the traffic, oh the traffic
it was busy, always busy
and the bus it wasn’t going
but it wouldn’t wait forever
and she didn’t want to miss it
so she did it, she was running
she was running when I met her
but the driver didn’t see her
no he said he didn’t see her
and he’d had enough of waiting
she was running, always running
she has always been a runner
and she wanted me to see it
and she knew that I would love it
and the bus, it wasn’t waiting
and it moved into the middle
and she knew she wouldn’t catch it
and the traffic was behind it
and she must have seen it moving
but she didn’t see the driver
and the driver didn’t notice
and he drove a little faster
and he said he never saw her
she was there and she was running
she has always been a runner
she was running there to catch it
but she never could have made it
and she never should have done it
and the driver couldn’t help it
and he never could have stopped
and now she’s dead.

She had always been a runner
she was running when I met her
she was running, always running
and she wanted me to see it
and I saw it and I loved it
and I put it in the coffin
and I wish I could have told her
that I love her more than ever
but I can’t.