Nigel Bird

KILMAHOG

You could have, should have, turned right at the lights
across the hills and over to Kilmahog.
Could have, should have turned into the ditch
when you saw him crossing, legs moving
like the Roadrunner, arms preparing for a fight
Or swerved into the other lane, braked hard and
hoped, let the man behind the headlamps take his chances.
Could have, should have stopped to check
for breathing or a pulse. Maybe called it in.
Could have been five minutes late—
nobody would have minded.


Nigel reads "Kilmahog":



Subscribe to Channel Five-Two for first view of new videos.


Nigel confesses: "Kilmahog. A name to get the juices flowing. A small, quaint village by day, a little more sinister and remote by night. A deer jumped out. I was driving slowly. But just imagine if it had been a child and I'd been in a rush; and that's what I did - imagine."

NIGEL BIRD was the co-editor of the Rue Bella magazine for a number of years. His collection of poetry "Busted Flat" is available as an ebook, and he has recently become a writer of crime fiction.