Starstruck In the City

The breeze is a sensory soothing adventure.

Water under the bridge which flows downstream and into the sewer of the city makes a trickling noise as I peer down to take a peek at where its destination lies. It cleanses the curb sides of the cobblestone street as the train roars past on the elevated ground. The train's whistle echoes past my body encompassing a strong gust of wind which blows my graying hair about. I look up. Being aware of my existence on this earth is obvious to my rationale. I think therefore I am dominates my thought as I stand on the pedestrian busy street isolated and deep in meditative thought. A car horn blows and I instinctively move my two feet to the sidewalk. The city excites me. A feeling of being starstruck grows and develops from within me as I pace the concrete paths of this brick and mortar environment. Telephone poles sprout up as if they were trees in this concrete forest. Its branches grasp the long and straight wires; the ones where squirrels dance and fray its very fabric. Evening casts its grey shadow upon the pulse of the city, leaving with it shaded corners and dim street lights. The bus pulls into its stop and I get on. I fumble through my change to find the correct fare. The bus driver gives me an odd look as I walk with a wobbly gait to an aisle seat. The man seated by the bus window is listening to his iPod as I listen to the tinny sound this device makes when it is for only one party listening. My blue eyes scan the occupants riding on this worn down bus and I notice some are texting, while others are speaking loudly on their cell phones. An occasional rider is reading a newspaper while the rest are immersed in their own private thoughts. A half hour quickly rolls by. My focus is towards the front of the bus. I gaze through the large windshield and notice that my stop is coming up. Gradually I ascend to a standing position and walk to the front. My right hand grips the handrail. Immediately a cat darts in front of the bus and the driver jams on the brake pedal. My balance is lost and in a flash I fall to the floor hitting my head on the metal part of the seat. 

My unconscious body laid in the aisle blocking pedestrian traffic. My mind is descending into a dreamlike state. Here I am in a foreign state which I am trying to mentally analyze. The huge rock which I am sitting on appears real to my eyes. The mist is clouding the trees and other forest growth. The branches protrude the misty fog. This is the land of the unknown I surmised. Every inch of land holds a puzzling mystery. My right foot touches the earthy ground where brown earth meets green weedy growth. The land was not hard but rather slightly moist. Sliding down the grey hued rock I stood and cautiously stepped through the weeds on a quest to investigate. From a bustling city to the serene quietness of the woods where the songs of birds can be heard I tread on, surveying my natural surroundings. 

Peering up at the sky I saw sunlight piercing through the forestation, creating a divine appearance. How sacred this must be I thought as a felt a calming sensation surge throughout my body. The pretty colored birds swooped down and circled around the light. Moving closer until the stones forced me not to go any further, I gazed upward and felt even more hypnotized by its goddess like appearance. An internal instinct was drawing me to move into the light when suddenly I was awakened by paramedics. An oxygen mask was placed on my face and I was removed from the bus to be placed upon a stretcher. A crowd of onlookers watched as the paramedics placed me into the ambulance. 

The ride to the hospital was smooth with moments of bumps here and there. An inner feeling of being a stranger in a foreign town haunted me. My worried thoughts focused on when this ambulance trip will be over. The ambulance attendant inside the cabin was friendly and he noticed I was becoming restless. "Do you need an adjustment of your safety straps?" he inquired. "I am feeling pain from not moving", I replied. "We are nearing the medical center. I shall loosen this strap where you can change your position, then I will tighten it again". This was a tremendous relief for my body. 

As the ambulance pulled into the emergency section, my creative and inquisitive  eyes were fascinated by the red lights of this entering vehicle and authorized personnel directing us to the proper stop. The ambulance driver parked and left the driver seat to open the back doors of the ambulance I rode in. The other ambulance attendant sprung into action to assist my stretcher to leave this emergency vehicle and descend to the asphalt. As the emergency doors automatically opened, I was wheeled in. The staff person behind the desk to ask me the routine questions concerning health insurance. Feeling dazed still, I searched my handbag and pulled out my picture driver's license and healthcare information. When my healthcare cards and driver's license were returned to me, I was taken to a waiting area where I was placed in a bed. The curtains were drawn around each occupied bed. Time had moved on and during my long wait, I could hear commotion by the waiting desk and near my curtain. An outraged woman who was anonymous to my knowledge was brought to this medical center. Her issue was that she was always sent to a different hospital and that if the staff were to contact her policeman husband, he would confirm her case. Her rant went on and on. Then it was my turn to be examined by a technician. It was late in the evening as I lay there on a stretcher awaiting what they call a CAT SCAN. The CAT SCAN technician opened communication with me in regards to what I shall experience when going through the scan. I lay there on a flat wheeled structure and my mind absorbed his overall words of instruction.