Roadkill Coyote
sprawls across the centerline
backleg broken * round glazed
eyes glassy as marbles
unwavering * unblinking
as the world rolls by
now unnoticed or maybe
all seen & thus merely
unremarkable * no fudge
or flinch of instinct * just
the cold last look of it all
i turn the car around &
go back to the body * drag her
off the road * steam rises
when i stroke her flanks
the jaw locked open * canine
teeth menacing even in death
i take out my knife * sing
a death song & thanking coyote
i cut off her tail
fur too beautiful to bury
& then pull her hind end
deeper into the rabbitbrush
beside the highway’s shoulder
all the way home * down
the canyon & up Norwood Hill
singing her
back into the mystery
