shoeless shanghaied riding the twilight
vehicle jerking beneath me
like a roller coaster on the upslope
what will we do if we see one?
the word ‘suddenly’ comes to mind
like in a mystery novel a real page-turner
I scan the circumference of the water
hazard—16th hole—then I’m past it
gliding among the prefab houses
palm trees like serifs added to their yards
my stepmother almost seventy
still maneuvers like a hummingbird
she shows me one of the lakes &
another pond a dock a cul-de-sac of reeds
we never locate anything with teeth
before darkness drags us home
“don’t give up” she says “they’re here &
time to time they come to look for us”
