the itch flows up the shoulders
hands on the wheel
the strain gripping and pulsating through
the arms
headache comes on gleefully
what if he presses the gas
foot swooping in without a thought
68 to 90 mph in seconds
will he hit the barricade
or someone’s car
or go over the side of the freeway
just knowing that he can sends a chill that wiggles through his
spine hands face
the possibilities taunting him
what does the crunch of metal feel like
free falling through the sky
the screams as people watch him plummet
“he must have been depressed” or “we need better mental health care”
he won’t deny them the partial truth in their statements
but in this instance they’re wrong
tempting fate now would be bringing his final adventure closer
and he’s ecstatic
Photo: Car on fire by Yanxin Wang [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs]
Christy Leos 