Collisions
(with apologies to Frank O'Hara) 
I am walking down the street
With a latte in my hand
Hoping to catch a glimpse of
The new People Magazine-
The one with Katie Holmes
On the front (she's so
Beautiful- I wish I could
Look like her)- when a skunk
Crosses my path.

It occurs just as I see
a news stand with Katie's
Beautiful face gracing the
Glossy cover. But the skunk
Confuses me: 

Watch the skunk or
Stare at Katie Holmes?
A difficult choice. It's not
Everyday such a collision occurs. 

His black and white fur
is nearly hidden by
A small, unnatural looking
Shrub (placed lovingly by
The city to hide concrete
ugliness), probably as afraid of me
walking down the street
As I am afraid of him simply
Trying to cross it. Simple for me
Because cars stop for me.
Courageous for him because
Crossing a street may be the
Most daring act of a
Small but heroic skunk life. 

People begin to stop:
An older woman with
Short blondish white hair,
And a too-tan tan-
A man with a tie and
A pink Financial times-
A diamond with
A woman attached pushing
A McClaren stroller.
A small hand pokes out
Of the side of the stroller as the
Diamond-with-hand-attached
 Lets out a screech and
fumbles about
In a Gucci bag. 

The hand appears with a vial and
Cocks back
(An inevitable, proverbial train wreck,
Where no one can avert their eyes
despite how hard they try).
The skunk adopts a defensive posture
While I with my latte, 5 steps from
Beautiful Katie Holmes, "and
everyone stop breathing".