KEIRA LYNN DODD

Escape

 

My spot wasn’t safe,

But I went there anyway,

attracted by the fresh water

trickling down the hill past our house.

The road ran parallel

in two directions as I sat in the ditch

absently kicking stones into the weak stream.

 

They couldn’t see me from the house,

and sometimes cars missing mufflers

flew by mere feet from my face.

I watched the dust clouds dissipate,

the scene settling back into place:

the stream, the road, the crisp, cool air

tickling the leaves above,

the house behind me somehow silent.

 

Mostly the road was empty.
I sat hugging my knees.  I waited

to be missed, for someone to come out

shouting my name, but what I wanted

was the pause before to last forever.

I wanted to hold the moment like a raindrop

in my hand.  I wanted to be the raindrops

now falling from the sky into the ditch

running parallel to the road.

 

I wanted to risk never being found.