Downstream

and I don’t recognise her
because everyone is wearing
hats and goggles. There is
something odd about her face,
as if her skin has been
spattered with mud, and it
takes me a while to realise
that, if she looks like this,
then I must, too. It’s tricky
keeping to where I’m
supposed to be – to stay right
and follow the curve of the
river – and I frequently find
myself in the middle. Ahead