Red All Over

So much red on the end

Of the clump of black and white fur

That was covering all that

Red minutes before

The car took off the head

Like the cap off a marker,

The red bursting out

Onto the long grey line,

A sudden focal point

Of rows of brown and tan

Houses in the suburb of our dreams:

All alike—side doors,

Split levels with a hole

In every roof—a skylight

You can see through the top.

The kids play around them yelling,

“Mama had a baby and her head popped off!”

As they flip off yellow flower tops,

Drop the stems and run.