Derailed by Stars: Prose Poem

Saturday Poetry Prompt: stellar steering

I started the evening still looking right at Orion’s belly — 3 hours further north than usual — projecting through the madness that is the ground forcing its way up through the feet, a pushing pulse with its erratic gaps — synapse out of control —

I tried to map a course back to you — before I slid into four feet of snow — a ditch perfectly level with the road, probably too tired to be driving — that’s the spot where the ditch decides to eat part of my car, my time — swirling scenes outside —

those little eyes on cloth that isn’t all black — there’s shades up there, no uniformity — cue the derailment of senses and time — gravel eyes me from eyebrow level, wonders about my driving skills, has the sense not to fucking mention that it’s been like 30 years since I first got behind the wheel of a car —

that was grandpa’s fault — I just complied, while not learning about what the brakes actually do — how to slow velocity of a thought that reaches through the gross whiteness that stays white somehow when there isn’t a lot of light to reflect — how to stop the excess of pain and memory…

looking up, and up and again — this time I saw the snowy owl, wings spread over my windshield — couldn’t see it when it was over the field but with the road now dark and twisted against the monochromatic backdrop — relentless insistence on winter —

I saw them, the lines between them, highways and landscapes, separated by places to breathe — before losing my way again.

J.D. Harms 2022

Prompt:

Sometimes, you get sideswiped by a road with conditions you couldn’t/didn’t anticipate. Sometimes, the sailing is smoother. Often, it’s not. But directions play such an important part of our understanding, not just within our physical/material space with taking care of those needs, but also how much we let our hearts direct us, and how much we sometimes leave to our heads. Every now and then (I feel like I might have done a directions prompt before, but there’s been…okay, I’ll let you tell me if I have…), I bring it up, probably because I’m frequently trying to ascertain just where the fuck (forgive me) I’m going. Specifically, though, I’d like you to imagine that you’re still using the stars to plot the course, physical or mental/emotional, and not your internal G.P.S. Anyway, lots of ground you can cover here. Rock on, write on!

And read too! In case you missed it:

Melissa Coffey Zay Pareltheon Eli Snow Jessica Lee McMillan Viraji Ogodapola Vic Spandrio Joseph Lieungh Pablo Pereyra Samantha Lazar Michelle Berry Lane Betsy Denson Joe Luca Jesse M. Gonzalez Mimi Bordeaux Paroma Sen Eleanore Christine Cassandra Armstrong Brigitte Bebey Laurie Perez Lori Lamothe Dennett Jeff Langley Ann Marie Steele Barry Dawson Jr. IV allie wisniewski Andrea Juillerat-Olvera Lennie Varvarides Amy L. Bernstein Amy Jasek Valori Maresco Suzanne V. Tanner Alice Armour Jade Willow Rowen Veratome Georgiana Petec Renee Podunovich Rhonda Marrone Jenine Bsharah Baines Erika Burkhalter Mark Tulin Era Garg Alicia Lee Colasurdo Alicia Dominguez Zuri Pommerenk Kristie Darling Roy Reichle Caitlin Rebecca Cassandra Armstrong Carolyn Riker Mark Tulin Skye (Vixen Lea) Nicholson Somsubhra Banerjee Enne Baker Dana Sanford Sydney Duke Richey Sydney J. Shipp Erika Burkhalter Jenine Bsharah Baines Niki Madore Danielle Loewen Janaka Stagnaro Rhonda Marrone Wry Welwood