the silence of the night
the gentle hiss of tires rounding wet corners
one’s going too fast
slipping
a sound like tearing
Skidding.
The heart-ripping sound falls into silence
silence
Crash.
the out-of-control pure impact gives way to the gentle chime of broken glass settling
the murmur of voices on the car radio spilling out into the open, free of glass walls
a hoarse cry of pain breaks the hush
over the gentle cadence of the bored midnight DJ
and then, silence again.
A picture frozen in time.
drivers stop
skid to avoid
cell phone.
Three tones
Nine. One. One.
screaming of ambulances
Sirens
the night’s silence broken.