He darted out
From an apparent nowhere
I mashed the brakes
Desperate for his survival
I was too slow
Or the car too fast
Too late
His body mangling beneath me
I will not soon rid the feeling from my bones
My trip suddenly very bumpy and then
smooth again
His corpse thudding against my
undercarriage and then gone into the night
I didn’t even stop to see if he was okay.
I left his lifeless remains lying
undignified on the side of the road
Never looked back
He didn’t need to die
Senseless, brutal oblivion
Why didn’t he get out of the way
Why didn’t he stay back
or look both ways before crossing, like we
are all taught?

…stupid skunk