When Street Meets Us

Before her scream—

pierced the screech

of careening wheels

with the immediate shriek

a shrill horn makes

up neck and back

back down to backs of

knees that buckle us back

back, back, back-words

and safety’s first

breath in ... recalls

something ... sounding ...

like a ... another

hit and (run) (runway)

runaway accident

as neck hairs hackle

as exploring senses are

sent out to locate and ...

(shut up) (shut out) shell up

 against that (violent) (violator)

vehicle colliding our way

our backs bright bait

for the reckless.

The when

we next hear

we first breathe

as windfall

how this lukewarm

 air we turn around in

churns danger

into disgust

snakes our guts

into gutters where

even our puke is small

change when street

meets us.