Rubberneckers
The roadside flagman nods as I pass,
tells me my wait has just begun.
I count slow turns of the tires
on the semi beside me. A thresher
going nowhere, rows of dried corn
before it, turns in a nearby field to pass
corrugated columns, steel silos
that bear witness to our parade to nowhere.
Its dust cloud approaches, stalls
over stalled traffic, then moves on.
A space appears before my car,
revealing pavement marked in red,
the only warning I receive before I move
slowly past the remains of a deer that tried
to cross this highway at the wrong time.
It could have been weaving its way
between the cars and trucks around me
in traffic that’s barely creeping.
A small car sits just off the road,
its shattered windshield witness to the scene.
A spaniel leans from a car window,
hoping for a breeze to materialize.
When we finally reach normal speed,
I glance across the median to see rubberneckers
who get to enjoy the delay I leave behind.
Medical appointments next week mean that my trip to Buffalo has to be a quick six days, with two days driving each way. As usually happens, the road has gotten my poetic juices flowing.
rivrvlogr 
Change the word ‘deer’ to kangaroo and it could have been just up the road a way. Very evocative.
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Thank you, John.
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Well, if being on the road gets your juices flowing this well, you should sell your house & hust keep on truckin, Bro.
Bloody good stuff, this.
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Ha
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Ha!
Thanks, Ron.
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So evocative, Ken. Poor deer. I like the image of the rubberneckers you leave behind.
Safe travels!
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Thank you, Merril. One thing about getting there is that I’m halfway home. 😉
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Hahaha. 😀
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Poetry to the “rescue” – keeps me from getting tense when stuck in such crawls – you’ve captured the agonizingly slow progress!
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Making the most of an annoying situation. Thank you. 🙂
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A good way to fill the time. Yes, be safe. (K)
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Thank you.
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