Predator

I am 11 years old,
astride my beloved horse,
riding along a rural road

My mount knows the route,
anticipates the turn to a dirt lane
we always take to get home

A car blocks the path ahead
Crew-cut man stands, facing us,
twirling something in his right hand

I halt my horse, stare, confused
He grins, waits for my shock
What he has in his hand is himself

I panic, rein into high weeds
around scrub brush and sharp rocks,
headed for nearest neighbor

My screams for help
bring an old woman out,
she lets me in to use her phone

My dad is off-duty and answers,
tells me to ride straight home
just one open field away

I know he will give chase in his car
I’ll never know if he caught him
When asked, he says he did not

For a very long time after,
when any man walks toward me,
fear grips and I veer the other way

I still remain alert, aware, prepared,
but no longer cross streets in panic

Indelible, the memory of a predator

By Pat Bonner Milone – Miami, Florida – United States

Pat Bonner Milone’s work is published in Women Moving Forward, Vol. 3, and
Multiculti Mixterations: Playful and Profound Cultural Interpretations Through Haiku.

She is a member of Miami Poets, Florida State Poets Association and Lamplighters. Born in Miami, Florida, she resides with her husband and son in Redland, a rural farm area southwest of the city.