The slow, steady pace of your feet
cars whiz past on each side of you
vans and trucks make the wind whip up
take the breath from you

each step along the way you take
cautious strides
feeling the end come up from behind.

Somteimes, there is peace.
The traffic zooms past and
still
there in the middle, you sense
that every notion of danger is
passing you by.

Sometimes you feel fear
as each potential accident speeds past
takes over you and
comes near
then fades off into the future
distance.

Others take another path
making cuts across the way

They stride straight
and
forward

They move to the other side
with a direct vision
never swaying
never stopping
only moving
seeming to pass through the
danger
like its steel, its venom, its movement
was all but
still to them.

Some face the traffic walking straight toward each on-
coming metal beast
facing each moment and
tearing down the fear.

The look you see on their faces is
distraught.
terrified, blinking, twitching.

You move forward, never knowing truly what
comes behind and yet

Each step is comfort,
gone one more time
again.

never looking
at what might be

never to think of what
could come

The race to meet you
will never catch up.