One day while hiking down a woodland fire road
I came across an injured woman,
Thrown from her horse and moaning,
And I ran to get a ranger’s help.
A jeep bumped us right on back and then
I watched in blissful ignorance and interest
His first responding. He taught me something,
With those hands of his that shook
With fear and a face deep-creased
With worry. Some passing hikers gathered,
And one a nurse; an ambulance arrived,
And tensions eased. “I just can’t believe
How much this hurts,” the woman bravely said;
“Broken pelvis, probably,” I heard the nurse then mutter.
It was such a nice day for hiking or horseback riding.
The woman, the ranger, the nurse, the ambulance –
I’d responded as best I could; I passed the buck.
