Time Tattooed in Memory
humming power guiding the long hood
smooth between highway lines into darkness
interrupted by the occasional set of headlights
coming to glare bright until passed
into darkness and broken lines
the night is beautiful in weather and celestial display
car lights after car lights approach in a steady flow
then depart in passive redness
reflected in blackened mirrors
the next set of lights looks lonely
approaching faster than the others
as if in a hurry to reach a destination or destiny
it won't take long for those lights to pass
so close and fast in a time
about to be tattooed in my mind
abruptly that car crosses into my lane
suddenly time is hollow as the vehicle
disappears into the slant vision vacuum
just ahead of the hood of my truck
I lift out of my seat anticipating a full collision
activating all braking methods
including the deathbed Red Button Terminal System
impact is heavy ― engines die
rubber screeches life and motion to a stop
sounds and smells of emergency break the night
into a path of speckled glass and debris
leading to a wreck on the ditch embankment
paralyzed and staring in stunned disbelief
I step down shakily to begin a jittered tip-toed walk
toward no sign of life
among the ominous automotive litter
of a car so shockingly unrecognizable
a stilled mannequin figure in fixated stare
hands locked onto the steering wheel
« still alive, thank God, she is still alive »
safely I remove this youth from potential disaster by fire amid a swirling fog of fluids unable to survive
such a collision
« shocked only, thank you God, she is shocked only »
the stress of youthful priorities
overpowered by a parental demand
to get right home to study for school
instead of socializing with friends
enroute streaming tears and ranting
gave in to losing the will to live
… I'll show you, all of you,
you will be sorry now, Mom,
for I am going no farther than
the front end of this oncoming
truck ...
|