Realisation

I heard the glass door-panel,  
her young head backwards through it
fragments worn like beads
abstract footprints patterned  
red on blue linoleum.
 
I turned down the pandemonium  
and looked into his slow motion face,
expecting the trail to be blazed  
but the rabbit was frozen by traffic,  
robotic arms caught on a loop
repeating motions that did nothing.
 
It was then I saw her, stride into the room,
one hand on a tea towel, eyes on the child,
rebooting the robot with basic commands,
calm cascading from her palms,
pure controlled power compressing
every open vessel in the room.
 
I had studied her face many times
but I had never really seen it before.