Defective Air Bag (2.5.18)

She told me the roads were slippery

Told me to be careful out there

As the snow continued to come down.

Mom told me to come right home

Told me to stay safe out there

But I went out anyway

As the snow continued to fall.

If I hadn’t stopped for that sandwich

It wouldn’t be covered in broken glass

If I hadn’t brought that smoothie

It wouldn’t be all over the dash.

I was going down a hill

Not even going the speed limit

I was going down a hill

And I pressed on the brakes

But they didn’t work.

If I had gone slower

I wouldn’t be in this mess

If I had gone slower

Maybe it would’ve stopped.

I kept thinking the breaks would work

At the very last second

But they didn’t.

The front of the Prius

Collided with a bus.

The front of the prius

Crushed upon contact

The bus hardly had a scratch

I couldn’t stop screaming

I couldn’t stop sobbing.

I called him

Before I even called my parents

I was numb.

He didn’t know what to say

He was so worried

I shouldn’t have done that to him
Worried him like that.

I got the insurance information and its working itself out

But every time i close my eyes

I see the crash

I feel the pain over again

I remember packing up the car

Grabbing everything I could

I grabbed everything I could

But I left something in that car on Saturday

I left innocence

I left confidence

I left people’s trust behind.

They keep telling me it wasn’t my fault

But if I had been slower

If I had honked my horn

If I had taken a different route

If I had not gone out at all-

She told me to drive carefully.

I didn’t.

Mom says the pain will go away soon

The nerves my neck in back will soothe themselves soon.

That the headaches will go away

And the blood will scab.