Introduction Foreword Writing Together Coping Within The System Coping On My Own Coping With Teenagers Coping With Relationships Live Performance

Anne Wood

The Traveller

Clickety-click, clackety-clack,
The train is rolling along the track
I'm off to London, first time in years
I'm so excited, all eyes and ears.

My friends are with me to smooth the way
They know what to do, I don't have to say.
I'm in my chair, the brakes are on tight
No slipping or sliding, I'm feeling alright.

Life is all steps when you're in a wheelchair,
London's so near, but I could never get there
Restaurants, theatres were all out of reach
When you're disabled you can't access the beach.

Now ramps and slopes are the order of the day,
They make life so much easier, they pave the way
To a more fulfilled life, there's so much to see
There's a world out there, just waiting for me.

Pretty soon we're there, in no time at all,
Can't wait to get off, gonna have a ball.
We leave the station and give a shout:
Look out London, Anne's out and about!

 

Anne, who wrote this poem during creative writing classes at The Corner House in Southwick, Sussex, commented 'my world has shrunk over the last 12 years, since being in a wheelchair.' This poem shows the potential for that to change, but she notes: 'I still haven't been on another train since that visit.'