when it slips out
of the mouths
of the broken birds
clutching to the telephone lines
why speak of regret
when the black feral cat
runs into the hedges
upon your turn into the drive
why speak of rage
when the car skids
on the slick ice
in the opposite direction
of your intentions
why tell anyone
about the secret paralysis
that seizes you during sleep
why speak to the
rabid moon
when the crickets
are muted
and starving
on the dark
This poem won Second Prize in our 2019 Poetry Contest.