The Element of Surprise in "Minor Miracle" by Marilyn Nelson

     I do not often find myself surprised by a piece of writing, but whenever I do, I'm usually quite pleased.  Too often, I find story lines to be predictable.  Sometimes, I wonder about the writers for some of the television shows I watch and wish that they would start thinking a little further outside of what they imagine to be the common experiences of their audience.  My favorite books and stories are the ones that carry on realistically but with a clever twist that I would never expect.  It is hard to come up with a realistic story that is also unique and intriguing.  The best ones probably come from lived experience.  I have no way of knowing whether or not this is the case with this poem, but I was very happy about the ending.  It was not what I expected at all.  The writer's description of the driver foreshadowed a fight, describing him as having "greasy jeans, homemade finger tattoos, probably/ Marie Corps boot-camp footlockerful/ of martial arts techniques."  It was surprising and quite pleasant that the driver just wanted to apologize.