IN THIS WAY

I’ve forgotten everything I’ve learned. I can’t remember the knowledge I thought I had. When she speaks I don’t understand what she says. She closes her eyes realising I don’t know what she means.
‘Cunt,’ said quietly by someone into my ear as they passed me on my way up to the bottom end of Stokes Croft from James Barton roundabout.
I stopped at the top of the steps leading out of the subway and turned round. A young white man, ginger hair, smiling at me.
I shook my head, felt angry.
Standing behind the railings above the subway entrance I looked down at the young man looking up. He smiled.
‘Yeh that’s right,’ I said. ‘Call me a cunt and smile, you fucking prick. Fuck off.’
He disappeared from view.
As I made my way to Brunswick Square I gave myself a hardtime, reacting the way I had, letting him get to me.
My policy is to not to give attention to this type of low level street aggression. It’s nothing personal, it’s not about me, not in particular, but it pisses me off, people thinking it okay to express themselves at me, or anyone for that matter, in this way.