"'There's nothing to see here people, keep moving on,'"
smoldering twisted metal heaps crumpled like a bad idea
crunched up and splattered blood on windshield, lovely
obviously human error and human rubbish, bright red
"slowly their necks turn and then they're gone;"
just an collision smelling of gasoline, no excitement
some fool smearing off themselves on the road, of life
like reused excuses begging for a second chance, denied
"no one cares when the show is done."
it's only for the jaded who've seen it again, too often
paramedics' body bag recycled from last week, scraped clean
nobody changes their ways or reduces speed, too logical
"Standing in line and it's cold and you want to go,"
stuck in single lane traffic cursing the delay, argggg
while another body is removed and another waste, shame
wonder why they had to die too young, not invincible
try to "remember a joke so you turn around"
but it doesn't seem so funny at the scene of dying, gone
death dosn't seem so lonely like those left behind, none
to mourne for lack of laughter in no more love, forever
"there's no one to listen, so you laugh by yourself."
how could they think they could stop in time, asking why
when road was so wet, so unpredictable, still no caution
not worth a newspaper photo; hosed off blood and recycled
Author notes
1 Lyrics - "These Things," She Wants Revenge
it's amazing there's far more collisions than homicides
wasn't the most happiest poem, but dam look at the messy roads and after talking to a retired public nurse on the bus, she wondered why she saw so many accident's aftermaths and nobody will learn.
lyrics just spoke to me that way of the apathy of Thank God it's not me, it couldn't happen to me
maybe coz i'm a journalism student and had to study a bunch of collision photos, it's the thing i fear a bunch, having to photograph a friend's fatal accident. talked to pros and it happens sooner or later.
A contest entry
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle [options] by WindUpEnigma.
1500 points, ended June 28, 2008, 22 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
is that clear enough for morbid curiousity?
Comments
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That was unmistakingly painful...but there is beauty through truth.
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great song and great use of the lyrics. i was hooked throughout. i lost a best friend to a car accident on a rainy night a couple of months ago and it's hard to realize the world goes on without her.
it wasn't the happiest poem, you're correct, but it was the truth. i hope you never have to photograph a friend's fatal accident. =(
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Harsh.
Cold and hard and jagged, painful (to the soul, not the ears).
So full of emotion, almost enough to choke on, and hitting strangely close to home--I was almost in an accident just last night. Luckily, our bumper only brushed up against their tires, no harm done. But it's odd to come here and find this piece in my contest today.
The lines that really sent chills up my spine:
"try to 'remember a joke so you turn around'
but it doesn't seem so funny at the scene of dying, gone
death doesn't seem so lonely like those left behind, none
to mourn for lack of laughter in no more love, forever"
Thanks for entering, and best of luck.
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