Amy Kitchener's
Angels Without Wings Foundation
Presents the 2008 Minnesota
Senior Poet Laureate

DONAL HEFFERNAN

DONAL HEFFERNAN, 72, Stillwater, Minnesota, is semi-retired from manufacturing. He lives in the country, rides a bike, and is enjoying his young granddaughter, Amanda. Donal is father of four children. Three of his books of poetry and fiction were published by small presses. He is a Scorpio.
THE FEAR OF STEPPING ON SMALL CARS


Seasons slipped by after the roars stopped
                                 from their engines

Now grown to adults, their small cars
                                 silent and dusty

Were stored, garaged in boxes, then offered
                                 without warranty of service

Spread to the next generation of tiny drivers
                                 to sweetly purr again

with mouth engines, pursuing
                                 space-aged adventures
                                 speeding to wireless places

As we served our new adults, one by one
                                 their big cars, then

There were no little cars,

Until seasons later one reappeared on the floor
                                 A survivor, green, still shiny

On a Saturday morning; I nearly stepped on its roof
                                 while the grandchild slept
                                       the car

Stared up at me, between our bed and the bath
                                 then more were sighted:

Sightings that shot back that old fear
                                 with increasing speed

Of that dread sound--the crunch underfoot
                                 in the dark, then

Submitting my plea, not guilty, later in the morning
                                 to a wee judge with large tears

In my losing case of the squashed dream car
                                 Illegally parked, of course

But clearly and rightfully on its way to somewhere.
Donal Heffernan
Stillwater, Minesota