Last Orders

Sit sipping, tipping, drinking
Back, a little bottle of sweet wine,
Beer, a little tipple of whisky,
Measure of vodka perhaps,
With ice, clinking as night draws sighing
To sounds of laughter, barmaid strutting
Shouting “LAST ORDERS!”
As her red high heels clatter.
“Shall I?” you casually wonder,
Reach into pocket for money,
Car keys slumber in warmth
With loose change for just one more.

Convinced, behind the wheel
Turn ignition, reflect, and sit,
While breath mists windows,
Radio belts Top10 latest hits.
Ask yourself
Should I be driving home?
When the bus stop is across the road
Or cabs beckon to drop you home.

Tell me
Will you scrape my child
From the unforgiving ground?
Twisted, roaring metal threw her
Like a rag doll, she crash landed upon
Never uttering a sound.

Will you
Fix her crushed, snapped bones?
Smashed when you slammed through
Her world,
Tell me
Will you hold her hand?
Whilst she lies dying
Crying pitifully for mum and dad
Who sit patiently waiting with concern,
Will you be the messenger
Of death, the grim reaper
As they smell your breath.
Tell them, their daughter is dead,
Or is that the job of someone else?

Tell me
As you cover her mouth
Forcing in air of alcohol
Will you scream, desperate?
At how this night has come about?
Will you choose the cushioned coffin?
Flowers, hymns, mop tears of
Sadness, weeping, stem the grief?
Will you say you’re sorry, I wasn’t looking?
Or turn the other cheek while cruising past
Her broken body, yellow livered that you are.
Running, never daring to stop
To view the damage done
And not to your car.

Tell me
Will you tell her brothers and sisters?
You killed their sibling, ripped out
Their hearts, left with memories,
Of a girl that was at the start.
Photographs will forever haunt,
As they grow, to share with their firstborn.
Footsteps after, who visit graves.
Just a face of a dead Aunt,
Who drew breath on earth.

Tell me
Will you pick up the pieces of shattered lives?
Wipe the brow as nightmares crowd,
Father cradles mother who wishes
It was she that had never been born,
Feed Prozac to keep wolves at the door,
Visit them, when all become insane.
Will you?

Life of a child, woman, lover, wife, mother,
Wiped out in headlights
Of oncoming, shrieking monster.
Want to twist that key, hear engine purr?
Think twice before driving home,
All this, can never be undone.