Deer in the headlights

No drinks for six years

but tonight, three hours ago

scared

hopeless and hating 

me or anyone
wide awake wired like a wire hanger

that's it
I thought, and went driving 

for a lot of drinks. I said goodbye to the dogs.         

They stared but didn't lift off their pillows. 

Driving fast, past midnight 

through a tunnel of pines just missed 

a deer - white tail, hooves diving - so

I hit a tree my nose hit the wheel.

A pretty red spray of blood on the windshield

and lightning bolts across my eyes but 

at least the cops won’t find bottles tinkling 

in the back this time. 

I was so far out of town I didn’t hear a thing

another car, a house, a voice

but I heard something walking

the shadow

had four legs.

The deer came to the car

leaned in close, we were eye to eye 

and she licked me, once

on my cheek, several licks on my nose

licking the blood away. 
With a whisk she was gone
tail and hooves over the road

beyond the pine tunnel. 

I backed out of the tree, the trunk held
a piece of the grill, for evidence, drove home
said hi to the dogs - I could tell by the barking

they were surprised I'd come back - then, I
finished washing my face. 

The moon is up.

Open the curtains

open the window
a fresh blue moonlit breeze is coming in;

lock the door, go to bed.

Goodnight.