Photo by Patrick Schiele on Unsplash

Night driving.

Traffic jams.

Waiting for my green light.

Dry mouthed,

Pulsing with

Energy. 

But my foot stays 

On the brake.

Globes of light 

Against indigo sky,

Provide just enough 

Light to show me the

Road. But smaller globes,

All encompassing,

And fast approaching,

Steer my eyes.

White knuckles as I 

Try

To stay in my lane.

It’s all too easy

To let my wheels slide.

But I need to reach my destination.

Road directory,

Traced and dog-eared,

Sits in the passenger seat.

I can’t pause to look at it.

The other cars push me 

Forward.

White lines and streetlights

Don’t shine as bright

As a starry sky.

A welcome sight 

On a stop-start journey.

I feel at peace.

A shrieking horn.

Two blinding headlights.

I swerve just in time to miss. 

Cars are still moving.

My destination still waits.

I clench to suppress

The chilling thrill

Of something that shook me.

In the warm, cramped 

Cabin of my car,

I’m pulsing with energy

But sitting still.

No closer to my destination.

No closer to being on time.

Cars around me stop. I slam

On the brakes.

Where my foot stays.

Waiting for a green light.