crimson spray paint
chipped off the
dinged aluminum frame
our dear friend
"the steel skeleton"
daddy rigged that go-cart
to push forty
felt like

mercy, we charged
wild onions
bubbling sun
rope swing
whipped, weaved
clothesline posts
threadbare tires
churned the dirt
that'd raised us

you squealed at the turns
of course you did
i was wild back then
burning rubber
cross clover patches
racing crows
and then the bats
until those holes threw us off
the ones our dog had dug
the ones we never thought to fill
once we'd buried her
beside the barn

whack!

ching and crackle
we'd been flipped
fumes all around and
on the motor
steering wheel
clamped my leg to pedal
i shook it off
but the buckle
mama had installed
did its job and
trapped you there

swoosh of blood in my head
and heat closing in
i found my feet
our crash site ignited and
flames lost their lustre
once they brushed blond hair

crimson sprayed
over dandelions
dribbled from your chin and
as i screamed for mom
for dad
for god
for you
i swore
to never drive again