Woe is Me
The argument with Dad
keeps running through my mind.
He just doesn’t understand –
doesn’t want to understand.
I drive to clear my head,
the clarity of headlights
cutting through the night
a hopeful metaphor.
Maybe it’s not such a —
Thump.
Oh no.
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
That deer came out of nowhere!
It practically attacked me –
the guileless creature
foolishly believing she could win
an encounter with two and a half tons of metal.
I slowly get out of the car,
not wanting to see the damage done –
to me or her.
Oh no.
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
She’s not a deer.
He’s a human.
Who left a human-sized dent
in my sedan.
Kneeling next to him,
my hands flail uselessly.
I can hear him breathing,
I don’t see any blood,
but what am I supposed to —
his eyes open suddenly,
and he jerks himself upright.
Oh no.
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
He’s forced me back into the car.
He won’t let me
give him my keys or my wallet
or anything else.
“Drive,” he says. “Just drive.”
I’m an accessory in my own kidnapping.
My future is ruined.
If I even have a future.
What did Dad and I argue about?
I should have told him —
Oh no.
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
He’s reaching into his pocket,
where he probably has a gun.
I’m going to die
whenever we arrive at his vague destination.
I should have —
it’s just a piece of paper.
He has a name and address.
This strange boy
apologizes and shares his sob story,
he makes me laugh and listens,
we sing to the radio and drive for a while.
Oh, wow.
This boy is actually pretty cute.
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