To the man who slowed your car

I saw you first you know

I'm trained

To see when people are around

I saw you start your car and pull

Out of the driveway, unaware

Until you started down the street

And saw

Me

You slowed down in seconds flat

I was walking in the sidewalk

Not near the edge

Not in the street

But your car rolled slow to stop, idle

So you

Could

Stare

Your eyes were cold and blank as you

Looked me up and down

I turned through the cut

Knowing cars

Can't follow there

And listened for

Your door

Instead you sped up

Drove away

My shoulders dropped

I felt guilty

To think you might want to hurt me

Just because you stared

Maybe my dog looked really cute

Maybe you recognized me

Trying to remember where

You last had seen my face

Too shy to call a name and be

Wrong

Wrong

Wrong

I walked along the cut

My dog bouncing ahead of me

The sun was shining winter bright

But I was cold and scared

Your silver car slowed down again

On the other side

Right where the cut came out

And your eyes

Stared

You had on a green baseball cap

Neon green

I remember that

And you were older, white, and cold

But that's all I could see

Because I was more focused on

How to make it out alive

Without hurting your feelings

If you didn't

Want

Me

My knuckles tightened on the leash

I met your eyes and

Stared

Let you know

I noticed you

Like predator and prey

Sometimes the puma gives up when they're seen

I met your eyes and held my breath

And slowed

Down

Your car could not drive through the cut

You'd have to leave

Open your door

I readied myself to look calm

And in

Control

Despite the fact all I could do

Is react

To you

Should I turn back around?

What would you think of that?

Would I hurt the feelings

Of an innocent man?

Should I pull out my phone and stream

A stranger on the street

His license plate in view

Is that a crime?

If I did turn around would you

Drive faster than I walk?

Would you be there again?

Should I just run?

I was frozen between the thoughts

I couldn't take it in

So I stared back at you

And just slowed

Down

I waited for you to show me

What you wanted to do

Would you call out to me?

Know me by name?

Or would your door crack open

Would you run to me and cut

Through the leash

And drag me to your car?

You stared back at me in silence

You didn't wave

You didn't smile

You stared at me and looked me up and down

You looked at my happy bouncing dog

You looked at my winter coat

You looked at my eyes staring at yours

Still

So

Cold

And finally

And finally

And finally

You drove away

My heart was throbbing in my ears

My breath was trapped inside

But when you drove away

It finally

Slowed

Down

Maybe you thought you knew me

Maybe you thought my dog was cute

Or the one that had shat once on your perfect lawn

Maybe you didn't like my hair

Maybe my coat looked like your mom's

Or maybe

Just maybe

Just maybe maybe maybe

Maybe you thought that my dog just might bite

I made it to my house

And told my family what I'd seen

They asked me what you looked like

I don't know

You wore a green baseball cap

Your car was silver, no it was grey

Your eyes were cold

Unblinking

And you stared

And if I think hard about it

If I'm really honest hard

I really think you thought my dog would bite

I can't walk there anymore