happy hollowdays

Driving in the woods and the fog tonight 

almost the second car crash this week, 

the deer lit up scared in the headlights 

she went right, hooves down the pine needle bank

I went left, rubber down the asphalt slick. 

I turned my headlights into the woods

saw her breath puff out first, then 
her golden brown eyes 

coming around the corner of a tree

staring no blinking into my translucent blue eyes. 

She didn’t run.

Looked like she wanted to say

Merry Christmas. 

I knew exactly how she felt.