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djemal ua Apr 2019
in a respected ride with veteran
battle scars, a tribute to a friend died.
Saluted the life blood sponging highway
to impress bloated pride on hit-the-snooze
Sunday, behind closed eyes, a naked marching
parade. Went too fast, flying untied, caged
bird set free wings won’t stop, ’til sun-kissed wings.
Last thoughts Mother’s day, another write up
for motorcycle cop, inking red dots
on desk duty paper. Homage to crumpled
carnage, nothing to see but stiff salvage.
Sharon Talbot Feb 2019
A prim, lavender skirt and a napkin on it,
Tells me this is serious, and I mustn’t
Rain upon it, not say what I think,
And much less what I feel.
You have found a lover
And she isn’t me,
I wish I was an eel
That could glide away
Into the primordial sea.

On second thought, it makes me
Wish that we had never met,
That I’d never looked at you and loved,
Or at least never brought you home.
It was there that it all began;
I assumed your were mine alone,
And now I am empty man.

Oh, my love,
For the first time in my life!
You did this to me,
Without knowing, charmed me
Until I was undone.
But accidents will happen;
It was only hit and run;
Such investigative fun!
Don’t tell the other one I feel this way.

On second thought let him…..
Follow me into danger
Since a gamble is good as a rest,
Or the off chance I’ll get shot.
After all, this admirer’s the best
Of a mediocre lot.

But he knows about me, I’m sure.
He’s gets so little reward,
But takes credit for what I do
And hangs upon my every word.
He listens to me in the dead of night
As you used to do.
It’s comforting that he’s not you.

-Unfinished Lament
veritas Dec 2018
you curl your fingers around the nape of the
passenger seat and the cold
metal stings but you can feel the
ghost of the prey brush your body
like the streetlights on the backseat last night
before you clutched the headrest and
you reach in the dark but
your hands miss the leather

the warm body heat of the car
thrumming up beneath you slams
your head into the dashboard where
the light turns from a bruised yellow to a crippled red
you are awake again
the steering wheel is cooler than you remember
smoother, sleeker, stealthy the wheel
will turn the predator around in a circle because
it seems to mimic itself where
in mimicry it is found
oh tyger tyger simmering out
you drive.
the gear shift does not obey when you
push it up rough and messy but it
locks in gear while you
wrap your fingers around the curve
and grind to a halt in the road
you cannot make this cliff.
the light in the dash blinks.
the trunk is opening and the vehicle is still moving
you roll down your window to ask the night a question in the glazed white of moonlight that is
so much like forgetting
will this road take me back to Del Sol and the Girl Who Lost Her Lover on Route 66?
she doesn't respond but
that is okay because the vehicle is still moving
and the leather is slick between your thighs
and you are going down
tonight you will descend.
the night will draw you home.
goodnight lover.
this was started out as two simultaneous stories but obvious i digressed (again?)
Francie Lynch Jul 2018
Why should I care you're there,
Or anywhere.
It was you who interrupted the night;
I watched you stare down the fire,
Scrape your initials in the ashes.
If it weren't for family,
The confusion and strained dialogue,
Like appearances,
I wouldn't see you at all.
Stay you do, everywhere.

So I tell a joke or two, one line quips,
And you were smiling,
While you're there,
Where I should no longer care.

What would be the aftermath of such a collision?
One wreck towed off.
It doesn't bother me in the least,
Our complimentary pauses
At the four way stops,
Or roadside memorials,
With faded yellow ribbons and thirsty flowers
Pinned to a styrofoam cross.
There is no rest, and little peace.
awknight Mar 2018
Jump from the building,
fall so quickly the lights
turn to stars and
cannot put their arms around
you in time.
Slit your own throat to watch
yourself drown in creation.
Pull the nails from your eyes
and place them in your coffin —
home.
An ant, imagine, burned by the
flame. Your soul splattered
across the picturesque skyline—
art.
Ink of a life never told across
windshields, across concrete,
across guardrails.
“Just ******* do it.” Your body
ceases obeying its abuser.
Only the mind spreads the
blood of your soul, when you
least expect it.
Stella Dec 2017
I don't know if I want it to linger
Or to fog up as this subtle reminder
But all I can believe in now
Is my fear of no more

By chance my body had to be turned
So I could watch this horrific demonstration
So I could be a useless witness
Thrown away by my helpless position,
and with no way of knowing their condition

Today, I have a fresh scar
Today, I'm afraid to start
Real life experience
Asonna Nov 2017
Death is too common,
it floats around me.
with family and friends,
so many near misses too.
It haunts me.

People with strokes
wrapped my car to a tree
Cancer
Pnuemonia
Pleurisy too.

Attempted suicide
make that times 2.

Ketoacidosis
overdose
some of old age
someone nearly lost a hand
oh, and my dog died too.

Yet somehow i'm selfish,
because I ran from you.

My heart bleeds with every thought,
for every person i've ever lost
including you.
but i won't play a villain,
i'm protecting myself

so yes i ran.

Because death haunts me.
And i won't have you in that vision of death too.
Sid Oct 2017
I'd never have to understand that we were born into equal sized roadways-
another unwritten rule suspended in the air
amongst the somewhat unnecessary details we'd 'forgotten'
to mention over the past few years.
But that was okay right?
I mean you'd found your direction
and accelerated ahead of me;
thinking you'd see the world differently from there?
Sure, your perspective involved hues that I was blind to but
I'd found this gem within the shadows of all these cars
(Shh! Don't let them know you're catching up!
This highway was ruled by colours,
not words.)
redyellowgreenredyellowgreen
You just couldn't stay within your own lane-
oblivion muddled with reality
blurred my blindspot
so I advise you to swerve out of my way
unless you want to get hit
(accidentally on purpose.)
-
You'd always remark that I could handle the wheel,
ever so sweetly,
but this
is what you implied?
-
I knew it was all too much,
trying to balance everything
(Shh! My plate was too full,
each nutriment colliding with another-
the chocolate syrup painted ice cream
enveloped half my dish,
intruding the space against her wish.)
You always seemed to have the cleanest looking plate,
however you continuously allowed me to spill over
onto the rim of your
pristine porcelain, as if
you enjoyed
watching me overflow,
explode.
You never did anything about it,
never cleaned the dishes,
simply watching as various delicacies drew fantasies
right
in
front
of you.
Though those weren't even
close
to my fantasies.
You dream of candy floss nests and gumdrop buttons
whereas I dream of freshly cut watermelons and berries
(please do the dishes
or leave.)

// riding shotgun was the sweetest thing
you said we'd done
right before I floored the brake
and more than sugar
went flying out the window. //
stay in your own lane.
TheStartOfMyEnds Oct 2017
Blank pages
That! Was "the" flash
Clear sheets of bleached pages
Blown by some outlandish light
My heart didn't miss a single beat
I wasn't afraid to die
Wasn't afraid of the hurt that would come
I calculated and imagined
a couple of broken ribs
and a lot of dismembered limbs
But with these relentless hands with minds of their own
They slowly slid off the steering wheel, already decided
I was ready to let go... (like...totally ready)

And face whatever reality awaits
Blastin' over 80 on gritty-soiled roads
Melting grounds
Sudden headlights beyond each steeps and turns
Would soon but consequently present

Surprised as I was
to realize I had nothing left lose
Nothing to leave behind
Either my life was already done for
Or a new chapter hadn't even started yet
It was an amusing thought
Even more so insane
Was the fact that
I laughed at my own jokes
Despite me being (...in deep ****...)
In the face of ...(idk)... death?

But the only worry that penned it's way
On my blank pages
Was the fact that my dear friend
Buckled next to me
Though the fault was both ours
She wasn't ready to meet the end of her story
Clenching my hands on the wheel
I prayed for no dents on the ride
I prayed for her life
And hoped the cupcakes sitting in the backseat
The ones with extra chocolate icings that her father just gave her a few minutes ago
Would make it just as fine
After a few aggressive twirls and dances
And subsiding close calls
Jesus gave me another chance


...And that is the story of how my mistakes almost killed my friend



Thanks
It's a lesson learned that's going to be real hard to forget. We're both fine. She's fine. But the cupcakes didn't make it.
The stars
Once ceaseless
Infinite
Now sprinkle the dark
As if accidents
Tiny holes
Peppering the black
With their hopeful presence ​

Only the brightest are permitted to shine
While the rest lay trapped  
Behind the blanket of dusk
Which is cool upon the skin
And warm within my heart

But I will break it open
Uncaging the sky
Allowing weaker stars to see the world
Before dawn comes again

Awestruck
I will breathe them in
Before back out
Into the night
They will ascend
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