My heart goes out to the families of the five British school-leavers tragically killed in a road accident in Ecuador this weekend. My own 18-yr old has returned safely from South Africa but is now in Peru for four months... living and loving every minute! :)) As we know, life is a process of letting go. May you and yours stay safe whilst experiencing all that there is for you to know and have. Love, Kate xx

TWO DAYS’ LATER


He sees her bronzed young body
swaying with the movement of the
beaten-out bus; a tendril from her
loosely-pinned hair shaken free,
bouncing along with the bumps.

Her slender, multi-ringed fingers
grip the rail of the seat in front,
steadying herself on the bends.

She’s gingerly touching the sore spot
where her cut-away tee leaves
too much fair skin to burn.

He hears her high-pitched squeal,
her ridiculous girly gush of words
as she shouts above mates’
animated chatter.

Sweating, he imagines her muscles
freeze, her almond eyes opening wide
in that moment of unavoidable impact;

bright-cloth bundles, boxes of fruit;
caged birds and rucksacks: everything
ricochets like buttons in a tin.

Then the acres of flesh slamming together,
hurling apart: shooting like soft bullets
through glass;

merging heaps of different-colour skin.
Pools of same-colour blood.

In his hand he feels again
that felt-tip that never worked,
signing her backpack “Have fun,
love Dad”.

He turns to face the cameras, saying:
“Everything is out there. Travel if you can.
Life is a risk anyway”.