[Max Goodman]

A SUDDEN SOUND AT NIGHT

Out walking late one sleepless night he hears
blocks distant, hidden by the city,
a car squeal, and then pop. No shattered glass.
One car. Into a tree? A building?

Some wretch, a little tipsy maybe,
distracted just a blip, has left the road
his life was on, whatever he had been
now stained as not worth trust. This moment
will nag the flop forever, the regret
before-and-aftering.
[............................]But then—it hits him—
what's worse, that landmine fate or this,
the never knowing when life went so wrong?




*
previous draft:
L2: blocks distant, hidden from him by the city,
L4: One car. Into a tree? A building’s side?
L5: Some wretch, a little tipsy probably,
L8: now stained as selfish, not worth trust. This moment
L11: which is worse, that landmine fate or this,
*
earlier titles: "Hidden, City Night," "Hidden from Him"

previous draft:
Out walking late one sleepless night he hears,
blocks distant, hidden from him by the city,
a car squeal and then pop. No shattered glass.
One car. Into a tree? A utility pole?
The dumpster in the alley behind some bar?

Some wretch, a little tipsy probably,
distracted just a blip, has left the road
his life was on, whatever he had been,
the crack young tech geek, dad to frizz-haired daughters
who worship him, sage mentor at the Y...
now stained as selfish, not worth trust—regret
before-and-aftering.
[............................]But then—it hits him—
which wound is worse, that landmine fate or this,
the never knowing when life went so wrong?

*
earlier changes:
L3: "Pop" was capitalized.
Ls 4-5: One car. Into a tree?He sees a boulder
though no rock within ears’ range can stop cars.
L 8: The comma after "on" was a period.
Ls 11-13: will now stand stained as selfish, unreliable,
regret before-and-aftering.
[..........................................]But then—
it hits him—which is worse, that fate or this,

previous Ls 9-11: star student, family man… will now be stained
as selfish, unreliable. This moment
will nag the flop forever, the regret

*
first posted draft:
Out walking late one sleepless night he heard,
blocks distant, hidden from him by the city,
a car squeal and then Pop. No shattered glass.
One car. Into a tree? He saw a boulder
though no rock within ears’ range could stop cars.

Some wretch, a little tipsy probably,
distracted for a second, left the road
his life was on. Whatever he had been,
star student, family man… would now be tinged
with unreliability. This moment
would nag the flop forever, the regret
before-and-aftering.
[.............................]But then again—
it hit him—better far that land-mine fate
than never knowing when life went so wrong.