We’re peripheral.
Bystanders rubbernecking
as our bodies commit
high treason.

Too caught in the frenzy we've created
to count the mounting casualties,
we remain unconvinced
of our burgeoning criminality.

We accelerate to keep ourselves from breaking,
shift gears and clutch
to these moments
just to feel the release.

But when the collisions cease,
we’re pried apart,
torn free by the jaws
of daily life.

As our eyes clear,
the sirens sound
and the wreckage
overwhelms us.