An Elegy for the Roadkill: 

 

Has anyone ever thanked the carcasses 

For letting us be the ones to survive the wreck 

for becoming rigor mortis sculptures 

to decorate the guardrails 

keeping the crosses company 

and feeding the flowers with their decomposition  

so we can all see the reminders 

and slow down 

 

There was a girl in high school once-  

and a deer took the hit  

got to be the excuse we all clinged to 

instead of the truth 

which is that sometimes we just want to drive away from ourselves 

and finally meet the horizon 

 

Yesterday,

I slammed the brakes so a turkey could cross 

and he took his damn time too 

I’d just gotten back up to speed 

When 2 cop cars passed me 

so fast that I barely heard the next 2 coming 

so fast that I had already parked on the shoulder 

had already thanked god for no ticket 

had already felt the guilt that always follows that relief 

because they are on their way to a different kind of victim 

 

10 miles later 

there was a motorbike on a flatbed 

with no rider 

 

That night, I learned what the asphalt of your driveway tastes like 

cause I kissed the ground when I got there

that night 

we gave all our thanks 

to a turkey 

Who had made the world slow

so I could stay in it.