The wind of humanity washes over me br Tugging at my clothes br sucking the breath from my lungs. br br My brain is numbed by its coldness br br The stream of chatter br Cascades down the escalators br Deafening, drowning. br br I am jettisoned into a heaving sea br br Jostled by flotsam br In an undertow of metal, br Horns sounding in a fog of traffic. br br I lie in a broken surf of foaming cars br br The Hebridean gale was never this cruel br The Highland torrent never so raucous br The Atlantic never so un-kind... br br Corpse-cold, I drift to a western shore. br br (Thanks to Jacqui Thewless for opening my eyes to an improvement to this poem and sharing her skill) .