On a Straight Road At Dusk
I am on my bicycle
And clouds hang above
But there are miles between
Me and my home still
The road before me
Is straight as a line
With nothing but trees
On either side
The clouds bring dusk
Before its time
And the light retreats
Quicker by the minute
I feel a drop
Then another
And soon enough
The rain is upon me
I pedal harder
But I find the road
Difficult to see
Under the accumulating water
The gloom
Is illuminated by lightning
And the sun has likely set
Though I can't tell in the gray
I fight the wind
Which causes the rain
To pepper my face
Like tiny knives
Then I see something
Perhaps a rock or a bump
That I should avoid
And I swerve
I feel my tires lose their hold
On the pavement
I hit the ground hard
And tumble--
Everything goes out of focus
And I only feel cold
But soon the rain on my face
Returns me to soreness
I sit up
Next to me is my bike
And it's not broken
So I stand it up
But then I realize
With horror
I don't know which way
I came from