Volume 10, 2010

Something Real

Bruce Bennett

The deer was in the road, walking across.
We swerved, but not enough. We heard the thump,
stopped, and backed up. She lay there, barely breathing;
blood in a pool around her head. We stood,
shaken, then pulled her to the side. The snow
swirled. There was nothing we could do. We drove
home; called the sheriff; filed the report.
Lucky for us, it only broke a headlight.
Lucky for us, but sad. Yes, it was sad.
Poor thing. So dumb. So unaware. Just space
from one woods to another. Just the crossing
she’d made a thousand times. I stroked her side.
So beautiful. Pathetic. Something real
had happened. No one spoke the whole way home.

Return to Table of Contents, Volume 10, 2010.