1856
During a bad storm one night I turned on my television
Grey and black flickering lines appeared, obscuring my vision
I went outside and saw the aerial had bent over but it would have to wait
Tomorrow I'd get up on the roof and try and put it straight.
Next day the storm had passed, and I put my ladders against the wall
And as I started to climb my wife said " Take care and don't fall"
"No worries darling " I said , "I've done this many times before"
When I was on the roof my pliers fell from my hand and I quietly swore.
I moved slowly toward the ladders and leant my leg across
And then felt my leg go as I slipped on some wet moss
Suddenly, it went black and quiet and there wasn't a sound
In a second, I'd fallen ten feet and landed on my back on the ground.
Next thing I knew I was walking down a street that I didn't know
Then caught sight of my reflection in a tailor's shop window
I noticed I was wearing a flat cap, a waistcoat, and boots on my feet
And could hear the sounds of coaches and horses up and down the street.
Strangers passing me on the street said "A very good day to you sir"
A few people seemed to recognise me and addressed me as doctor
I thought where is this strange place? , I've never been here before
As I got to the end of the street I stopped at a house with a red door.
Something within me told me look in my pocket for my house key
And as I inserted the key and opened it a woman stood before me
Then two little girls in long dresses ran towards me shouting "Papa"
For some strange unknown reason, I knew I was in the Victorian era.
We all went into what was a large dining room and we sat down
Then a maid appeared with a joint of beef from the market in town
The lady who it seemed was my wife then asked me how was my day?
I looked at her very strangely; and I just didn't know what to say.
Then I said "Yes, it was busy, I had cases of scabies and gout
Poor living standards are the cause, there's a lot of it about"
Also, lots of men with missing limbs are returning from Crimea
It angers me to see that people don't care and have no idea".
"Oh dear" said my wife "People believe what they read in the newspaper
I read that many men thought they were going on an adventure"
We finished our meal and my young daughters wanted to play
One said "Papa, can we go on the swing" I said "Okay, lead the way".
The next day I retraced my steps, and headed for my surgery
But I was getting flash backs of another time, was I losing my sanity?
I noticed the calendar in my surgery said May, eighteen fifty-six
Maybe I was working too hard, and my mind was playing tricks.
Days became weeks and then months and soon a year had gone by
But I was still getting flashbacks and I couldn't understand why
Every evening, I returned home, my wife and daughters would greet me
And when my daughters went to bed, I'd read them a bedtime story.
One Friday I'd been working late and outside it was now a dark night
A dense fog hung low that was illuminated yellow, by the glow of gaslight
I made for home down the long-deserted street, but I had a feeling of dread
It was eerily quiet then someone hit me, on the back of my head.
There was a bright flash, then it went dark and I opened my eyes
And then what happened next took me completely by surprise
Two men in green paramedic's uniforms asked me if I was feeling all right
It was a bright sunny day and no longer was it a dark foggy night.
Then my wife leaned over me and I could see she'd been crying
She said she'd feared the worst and thought that I was dying
"How long was I unconscious for" ? I asked her, I just had to know
She held my hand and answered, "About half an hour or so".
They lifted me carefully onto a stretcher and placed me in the ambulance
Then for a short time I lay motionless and went into a deep trance
I was drifting from my present surroundings back to my Victorian life
And for a moment I saw my two young daughters and my other wife.
We arrived at the hospital and my injuries were quite severe
The doctor told me I'd need to rest my back for about a year
I got thinking about my experience of that time long ago
Had I entered a parallel world? or was it a coma?, I don't think I'll ever know.
Copyright ©
Tom Cunningham
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