dead something in the dirt by the
side of the road
he saw it from the bus one day returning
home
a week an a half later going in the other directionsitting on the left he saw that he saw it correctly
returning that afternoon he disembarked at
the stop prior an walked approximately a mile an a half to the dead something
it seemed to him on second
viewing that it was a large dog
it was
reduced desiccated seemed it had laid there a long time
leathered flesh patchy fur
exposed snapped bones
its body cavity hollowed out morsels
absent
its contorted pose suggested it
was struck by a vehiclehurled by the
impact to where it lay
the dog reminded him of deer he
found at the edge of forest preserves in Illinois their mangled corpses revealed as the snow
thawed an receded their rot wet
however this was California an this dog laid at the threshold of an acred
ranchette
there wasnt a fenceline
the dog was beyond the shallow drainage
gulley that ran beside the rural highway
it was incomprehensible to
him that the landowner houseowner hadnt
buried the grisly remains
the dogs face bore the
unmistakable death grimacethat painful consciousness This aint right
any evidence of the impact on the road had weathered or was run-overed away
he couldnt help himself
he walked up the long graded driveway
to a three-car garage four pickup trucks
were arrayed on the broad concrete apron
he followed a gravel an paver
walkway that paralleled the face of the house that paralleled the highway
he rapped on the door measured
hard enough he felt to rouse someone in the kitchen at the rear of the
househed drawn enough an built enough of these to ascertain an approximate floor plan
bootsteps approached the door
the foyer was tiled
the wide wide wood front door
swept open
a big man barrelchested blue
jeans gut leaning on a thick leather belt an huge ornate buckle Yes
Hello
What do you wantyoure on private
property
Obviously
What do you want
I dont want anything Theres a dead dog at the front of your property
the dull expression on his
unshaven faceone eyebrow peaking slightly was affirmation
it was the big mans turn to turn
a card
he retained the conversational posture
he took after knocking at the door
The dead dog So
So nothing
I didnt want
to assume anything Though its nice to confirm
what I suspected Unfortunately
Thank you for your time
I hope I didnt interrupt you from
something important
he turned and walked away
he didnt hear the door shut until
he was nearly halfway back to the highway
a few weeks later in the local
papercolumn entitled Red Light Round Up he read that the all-volunteer fire
department descended on a haphazard fire that burned at the front of the mans
property
he softly sucked his teeth over a
cup of coffee Haphazard fire No Called a pyre
saw
it Twosday, 24 1. 18
afternoon, Day-between-Two-Ts, 31 1.
18
