This story has had several iterations as both a poem and an essay. This version is the most elaborate but has not been previously published. The Guardian Ray Zimmerman 1 The guardian moves in circles. She does not coil, does not prepare to strike. With no identifiable objective, she circles beside the road. Was she injured by a passing car? Is she warming up, absorbing heat from the pavement? Is she preparing to give birth? What business is she about on this mountaintop in northeast Alabama?
An Unlikely Guardian
An Unlikely Guardian
An Unlikely Guardian
This story has had several iterations as both a poem and an essay. This version is the most elaborate but has not been previously published. The Guardian Ray Zimmerman 1 The guardian moves in circles. She does not coil, does not prepare to strike. With no identifiable objective, she circles beside the road. Was she injured by a passing car? Is she warming up, absorbing heat from the pavement? Is she preparing to give birth? What business is she about on this mountaintop in northeast Alabama?