Broad daylight
off the freeway
taking the long way arounddown the winding mountain road
surrounded by green lace
sparkling light flashes
like mini fireworks
like mini fireworks
fragrant Pine, Redwood, Madrone
tickling my nose
bringing that rare sense
all is right with the world.
a smile
Others escape with me,
some ahead
leading the way,
some behind me
in the mirror
all of us
snaking down the mountain together
fresh air soothing
sunlight sprinkling like snow
in the mirror
all of us
snaking down the mountain together
fresh air soothing
sunlight sprinkling like snow
we meet the climbers,
from the other direction
all pass one another
like ants on a trail
I can't watch them now
focusing on cars ahead
red lights braking
car behind me
too close
In a flickering blink
a tawny creature flies
from the other direction
all pass one another
like ants on a trail
focusing on cars ahead
red lights braking
car behind me
too close
In a flickering blink
a tawny creature flies
It's Bambi's mother
crossing the road
I can't breathe
A split second of hope
In one graceful ballerina leap,
she makes it!
almost...
SUV barrels round the curve
everyone brakes
stops in horror
She's down
all fours tucked round her,
as if resting in a field
her regal head raised
a long gash on her throat
Red so bright
It's the only color in the world.
she'll be alright
I can't breathe
A split second of hope
In one graceful ballerina leap,
she makes it!
almost...
SUV barrels round the curve
everyone brakes
stops in horror
She's down
all fours tucked round her,
as if resting in a field
her regal head raised
a long gash on her throat
Red so bright
It's the only color in the world.
she'll be alright
she says
with her eyes,
just give me a minute.
The monster backs up,
peals out around her
as if alone
as if no one saw!
a hit and run
Is it legal?
a hit and run on a doe?
Bambi's mother bleeds
I cry
pull over
close as I dare
the edge of the steep abyss
How did she fly so high?
A large deer was hit, she's lying on the old Soquel highway near ...
It's on ... middle of other lane
If I had the strength... I... How much could she weigh?
She's alive.
Can she be rescued?
I'm distracted
People are standing by my window.
"Are you alright?"
Yes.... No!
"Did you hit the deer?"
No, not me. It was a hit and run! I stopped to call 911
with her eyes,
just give me a minute.
The monster backs up,
peals out around her
as if alone
as if no one saw!
a hit and run
Is it legal?
a hit and run on a doe?
Bambi's mother bleeds
I cry
pull over
close as I dare
the edge of the steep abyss
How did she fly so high?
"911 What is your emergency?"
A large deer was hit, she's lying on the old Soquel highway near ...
"Is it on the road or off the road?"
It's on ... middle of other lane
"If it's dead, pull it off the road."
If I had the strength... I... How much could she weigh?
"Ma'am???"
She's alive.
Can she be rescued?
I'm distracted
People are standing by my window.
"Are you alright?"
Yes.... No!
"Did you hit the deer?"
No, not me. It was a hit and run! I stopped to call 911
I wave my cellphone...
Where did these people come from?
The woman looks at my front bumper
at the dent there
at the dent there
so many years
shakes her head
says something
to the man beside her
I turn to look
Bambi's mother leaps up
a breath of hope
she falls
half on the road
half in the ditch
struggling
lifting her head
chest rising rapidly
her eyes wild now
Yes, It's a very large deer.
a little white lie.
cars are passing by,
carefully, slowly,
shakes her head
says something
to the man beside her
"Ma'am, you need to tell me... the animal, is it alive or dead?
Is it blocking the road?"
I turn to look
Bambi's mother leaps up
a breath of hope
she falls
half on the road
half in the ditch
struggling
lifting her head
chest rising rapidly
her eyes wild now
"Ma'am, Ma'am... you need to pay attention to me. Is the animal blocking traffic?
Yes, It's a very large deer.
a little white lie.
cars are passing by,
carefully, slowly,
traffic has not stopped.
Yes, Yes, okay
But, I don't stay
the doe looks dead
"Animal control will take care of the situation. Stay there until they arrive"
Yes, Yes, okay
But, I don't stay
the doe looks dead
fog crawls in
to catch the spirit
and welcome it home
to catch the spirit
and welcome it home
No more green lace
or sunbeams
too cold for open window
or sunbeams
too cold for open window
I drive down the forested road
breathing in
and breathing out
Please note: The scenic pictures were taken by me. The deer pictures were not.
I struggled with the conversational punctuation. How does one do that in poetry? He said, she said sounds so unpoetic. Maybe this isn't a poem?
It sounded more like prose to me than a poem half way through.
ReplyDeleteA little more than 2 years ago a friend and I hit we hit a buck. It was dark. The buck appeared out of nowhere. One second there was nothing in front of us; the next second there was this buck. We hit the buck broadside. We drove a short distance up the road and pulled off to the side. A car that was behind us pulled off the road in front of us. A young man got out of the car and asked if we were OK. We told him that we were OK, just shook up. The car, though, was damaged. The hood was pushed back and up. My friend telephoned her husband and told him that we hit a deer. He asked if the car was drivable. It was. We drove to a friend's house, which was about 2 miles away, where my friend's husband met us. Four of us went in a truck to see if we could find the deer. We used a spot light and found the deer. We were distressed to learn that the deer was still alive. The deer was lying down in the field. My friend's husband thought we broke the deer's back. The deer had its head lifted when we spotted it. My friend's husband called the game commission; no answer. Very early the next morning my friends returned to the place where we had hit the deer. The deer was still in the field ALIVE. He had dragged himself another 50 yards or so from where we had seen him the prior night. My friend's husband called the game commission (someone answered the call this time) and was given permission to shoot the deer with a pistol (quieter than a rifle). It took 3 shots to kill the deer. The deer had 8 points, weighed about 180 pounds and three of its four legs were broken.
Thanks Linda, I think I will re-write and see how it goes. My Parents, from your part of the world, would have taken the meat home to cook up. I have a pic of Mom with her brother's gun and a big buck at her feet. 1935, she was 15
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