The blood I can feel
Rushing down my arm
I can hear my mother crying
“He never meant any harm!”
“He was my baby,
Only seventeen
He wanted to be a lawyer
That was his dream”
Other strange voices
I now can hear
Some of them far
Some, very near
My body I am leaving
I can see about
Lying on a hillside
A mangled Boy Scout
My soul is suspended here
Above this horrid place
I do not wish to look
But I cannot cover my face
For this that I am seeing
This creation of death
Is of my own stupidity
In listening to my girl Beth
“Oh one more drink won’t hurt”
She said with a grin
Then handed me
My fourth glass of gin
As I headed homeward
Speeding quite a bit
Rounding a sharp curve
When a dip did I hit
The control of the auto
I had completely lost
Running off the road
At such great cost
There was the youth
Playing in the grass
But no control had I
To simply swerve and pass
Quickly we met
Metal to pulp
But for the moment
I could only manage to gulp
On across the field
I did speed
About fifty or so
Straight into a tree
Over the car turned
Onto it’s side
All of this
For laws I did not abide
Now thinking, sarcastically
Above my remains
For such a high I.Q.
I have very few brains
For drinking and driving
Changed me from good to bad
By taking the life
Of such a young lad
Everyone had considered me
Mannered quite mild
Who’d have ever dreamed
I’d be the killer of a child
Before I start getting messages questioning my reasons for posting this poem, I would like to take a moment to say the following:
1. No, the poem is not true (duh).
2. It is, however, the first poem I ever wrote. I wrote this as a junior in high school for the organization S.A.D.D. (students against drunk driving), but it was never used.
3. I only wanted to share this poem as a piece of work that I have always been proud of. Yes, it is a little on the dark side, but the intention was one of shock.
4. I did enter this poem in a literature contest shortly after I wrote it and it didn't even get an honorable mention (perhaps a little too dark). I think that the faculty at my school didn't know how to take it at the time. Just a quess. I was actually questioned by a well meaning teacher as to whether I really wanted to be an attorney ("No, and I have never had an out of body experience either!" That is what I thought, but didn't say anything, you know teens.) ;)
It was several years before I shared my writing with anyone. People tended to try to read things into my creativity. Sometimes those things may be true, but in this case, it was simply an active immagination on a mission.
I chose to post this under TEENS because I feel that the message is still quite valid. Todays teens are in a constant struggle with the world around them. My daughter is a pre-teen and I pray daily for her as she goes to school or any other time she is away from her mother and me.
I hope you enjoyed the poem, just remember, this was written by a 17 year old kid long ago but a little piece of him still exists and is doing quite well. As always, your comments are welcome here. God Bless!
Read more articles by David Michael Chambers or search for articles on the same topic or others.
Mike, this is an excellent piece and I have no problems with it being posted here. Another writer shared a poem or article a week or so ago with a similar theme (including the fact that it was from the dead drinker's point of view). Makes me think that God may want these particular messages here for this particular time. Who knows who the Lord will cause to "wander" by and read them? You definitely made the point extremely well. Must admit that your first point at the end of the poem gave me a chuckle (which was appreciated after the intensity of the poem). Also, very surprised that you had written this at such a young age. Quite impressive and I'm very glad to see that even though it wasn't used at the time, that it's being brought out and given an "airing" now. With love, Deb
