Lincoln Green resident Dave Liversidge writes: I travel a lot on public transport and I was amazed at the reaction to a person with learning difficulties. So I wrote this poem in response.

Sit Next To Me.

Nutter on the bus.
Butt of a million jokes,
He's just trying to get somewhere.

Harsh, staccato, voice.
Eyes darting with clockwork iregularity.
He's just trying to explain.

Unkempt hair.
With mismatched charity shop clothes.
He's just trying to fit in.

But when sighted

Bodies palpably expand.
Inward gazes suddenly focus out of windows.
Bolder people fire daggers.

And the fear spreads,
Though postures remain nonchalant.
You can sense the mental screaming,
"Not me God, not me!"

Why?

He only smells human.
Is no serious threat.
He just sees the world in a different way.

And if you listen
Inside the seemingly incoherent babble,
Could be the question to answer 42.

He is still our brother.

I always make a space.
Turn off my Walkman shield.
I look, nod, and smile.

Pat the seat saying,
"Come on mate, sit down."
But he always staggers away.

Leaving me wondering
What is the hell is the matter with me?

	Nutter on the bus
	Deserved Belonging
	Catherine's slug