Trickster

Standing in the road, seemingly oblivious,
unseen until the last moment,
sharp right turn, hit the breaks hard,
too fast, too late, and impact
but it doesn't end up under the wheels
the brown coyote standing still in the middle of my lane staring straight ahead
not even looking at me as I hit him
what had its attention?

I turn the car around expecting to find
it broken and dying on the roadside
but my headlights  catch him running
apparently without a limp,
back to the side of the road
from whence he came.

Of course, the little bastard
was uninsured.