too young to die, at the hands of a driver too drunk to drive.
Not only was a promising life ended, but the lives of all who knew him were changed...
Not to mention the life of the poor fool ... the drunk driver.
This poem has been used by the Allstate representative to the Suffolk County "Stop DWI" team, and parts of it have been published in other periodicals. Copy it, and show it to a friend... I hope that it saves a life someday... it is titled . . .
"In Control"
WITH HIS WHOLE EXCITING LIFE BEFORE HIM
HE SAT DOWN BEHIND HIS STEERING WHEEL
HE ONLY HAD JUST A COUPLE OF DRINKS
BECAUSE HE LIKED THE WAY IT MADE HIM FEEL
HE STARTED HIS CAR AND IT GAVE OUT A ROAR
A SOUND HE FELT NOTHING COULD BEAT
HE CHECKED HIS MIRRORS, THEN LOOKED BELOW
HIM
LIKE HE WAS FLOATING ABOVE HIS SEAT
HE THOUGHT HE WAS IN COMPLETE CONTROL
AS HIS CAR SMOOTHLY PULLED AWAY
THEY BEGGED HIM TO STAY ... TO SLEEP IT OFF
...BUT HE HAD MANY PLANS THE NEXT DAY
SO AWAY HE WENT ON HIS JOURNEY HOME
TO THE COMFORT OF HIS OWN BED
BUT IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE WOULD HEAR
SOUNDS THAT HE WOULD SOON COME TO DREAD
A DEAFENING SCREECH ... A PAINFUL CRUNCH
A MOAN... BEFORE IT ALL WENT BLACK
ONLY TO AWAKE IN A HOSPITAL BED
WITH A BRACE FROM FRONT TO BACK
THEY TOLD HIM OF HOW HE HAD KILLED A MAN
LEAVING A WIFE, AND A FAMILY
WITH ALL OF THE DAMAGE HE HAD DONE TO HIMSELF...
HE'D NEED YEARS OF THERAPY
HE KNEW THAT HIS LIFE WOULD NOT BE THE SAME
BECAUSE OF THAT FOOLISH DECISION HE MADE
ALL OF THE PLANS, THE HOPES, THE DREAMS...
HE SEES NOW HOW HE JUST SHOULD HAVE STAYED.
IF ONLY HE LISTENED CLOSER TO HIS FRIENDS
AND NOT TRIED TO DRINK AND DRIVE
HIS OWN LIFE WOULD STILL BE THE SAME...
AND THE OTHER MAN WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!
(C)BARRY S. MALTESE1993
Comedy Military Dedications Public Heroes Assorted Writings Writings
of FaithLinks
Changes last made on: Thurs July 3 21:44:34 1998
This page can be copied freely and distributed
(free of charge to others) as long as
(c)Barry S. Maltese remains
under poem