Brief encounter, and a question that remains

I love elevators; when my legs refuse to climb even a flight of stairs let alone three, they are my salvation.  On my way to listen to American writer, Michael Heller, I decided to take the elevator to save time and locate a good seat.

The metal doors begin to close and quickly enters Simon Perril, a lady and another man. I greeted Simon, knowing him from lectures and smiled at the lady. The man on the other hand, said 'Hello' and smiled and I smiled back. It was a kind smile, sincere and warming in the confined space of 5 bodies so close and unacquainted. He reminded me of Seamus Heaney in his appearance and was well dressed from head to toe in suit trousers and a cotton jumper, and glasses without frames.

It wasn't till I entered the lecture theatre where the man and I split ways and I took my chair while he stood at the front and was introduced as 'Michael Heller', that I felt ashamed and ignorant for not realising who he was.

But as he began to read his poetry, with his accent accentuating the tone of his crafted words, I didn't feel so bad any more. I relaxed. I listened and appreciated that the kind stranger with a sweet smile who I once knew nothing of, was offering the audience his perceptions from years of experience.  I sat back to enjoy his words and take from them what meaning they conveyed to me.

In 'Without Ozymandias' there is a line that says, 'Who finds the pedestal, finds the poem'; I was too shy to ask what it meant. 

Instead, I'm still wondering as I write this, what it means. Today brought me a brief encounter as well as a Cultural Exchange.

Raquel Edwards