Nemesis

She was proud of her skill
with her three-toed cane.
Her walk
from the Residence
to Thrift Store
took just twenty minutes:
then fifteen minutes
to the donut shop
where she’d meet
some of the Girls.

Concentrating
on her next step,
she was shocked,
surprised,
as her faithful shoulder bag
was wrenched
from her grip.

Baggy trousers
slowed his sprint:
dragging cuffs
impeded his balance
as fate,
gravity,
and forward motion
conspired,
then placed him in the path
of the accelerating Transit bus.

She recovered her handbag,
and left the scene
without
a backward
glance.