Driveway Physics

The engine cuts out and the fan winds down to a hum.

I’m sitting in the dark, my fingers feeling numb.

I press the red plastic and hear the metal snap,

a sudden release from the nylon strap.

The button is warm where my thumb had to rest,

and the weight of the day lifts off of my chest.

I’m not ready to go inside to the light,

so I sit in the silence and wait for the night.