Autocide Poem by Terence George Craddock (Spectral Images and Images Of Light)

Young male did hundred and eighty k
straight into a bloody great tree
absurd police politics state
reckless drunken youthful spree.

Drink driving paranoia campaign
obsession it has to stop
official alcohol blame-all rhetoric
simple minded utter rot.

Accidents caused by slow. Old inadequate roads.
Allows no high density. Modern traffic flows.
Late aggressive drivers. Ignore moral courtesy codes.
Slippery wet conditions. Prove inexperience fatally blows.


Didn’t panic sweating swerve
didn’t final seconds blindly brake
didn’t even see it theory
momentarily asleep awoke too late?

Reckless speed kills charade
allows no emergency braking time
one second mistake mimed
result its early burial funeral time.

Truth humanities hurt wasn’t really
murder done dead by a tree.
Chill childhood future-less agony
now memory past pain flows free.


Only genuine concern grass root solutions
minimize danger of break out prairie fire.
Only politically irresponsible resolutions
underfunding ploys make sham policy a liar.


And thus some youth of righteous country
are sold into an early grave as paid bounty.

Speed kills! So does cancer!
Ride fast! Die young!
Make a good looking corpse!


Copyright © Terence George Craddock