When I read in the driver’s manual
that You must stop and remain stopped
for any passing emergency vehicle,
I closed my eyes and saw the world stand still,
cars frozen in the streets,
pedestrians perched on one foot,
music drifting off into a silent void.
Only the self-important wail of sirens would dare to pierce
this rare total suspension.

When I first found myself stopping
for an emergency vehicle — a lone
police car — I kept my eyes open
and saw cars crawl to a halfhearted standstill,
one by one along the road,
never the whole world stopping at once.