Near-miss, Rural Highway
In hiding, in the cover of
culvert, sumac, and sunset light.
Out suddenly, road’s edge, a chestnut blur,
panicked, breaking.
Inside: panicked, braking.
Huge there, an arc, the windshield
filled with it. Brake harder. Harder!
Contact! Collision!
Really? None? Impossible!
Talk. Talk, talk, talk. (Shaking).
A whitetail, right?
Inches. Missed us by–must have.
Amazement, release:
This just happened? Not to someone else?
We’re still here, are we?
Driving (slower). Braking, testing.
Somewhere to get to . . . which was . . . ?
Breath in, breath out . . .
space behind us.
Oh lovely space and time.
Richard Swanson was the winner of the Posner Award from the Council of Wisconsin Writer in 2006, and is the author of a recent chapbook on popular culture, Paparazzi Moments (Fireweed Press). He lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Portage Magazine 
