Deathwish 53: Melchor
“Don’t wake me, I plan on sleeping in”
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I dreamt about crashing my car–
Seatbelt fastened, hands punctually placed,
….I bypassed brakes; I let pedal meet railing and
………….wondered who would feed my cats
In the seconds before sailing off the shoulder, I thought to grab my phone;
………….considered who I’d try to reach, if I’d even be able to–
I caller ID’ed the embankment with a few curse words;
……mumbled dream speak, tumbled dream speed
I spoke clearly through shattering windshield;
………..painted poems on dashboard;
……I made it to rest at the bottom of a ditch,
……….whispered through a broken stereo–
……..said, “Don’t wake me, I plan on sleeping in”
I let myself relax, I cruise controlled into a coma
………for just a couple extra last moments;
…I apologized to my mother for all the nights I didn’t come home,
………..her brother and father both accident victims,
……………my dad always driving away from us,
………I realized how I’d left her alone; parked and waiting
I could smell the engine oil leaking, the gasoline burning,
……but I knew, no matter how many miles it haunted,
……….that it wasn’t real, this recurring nightmare–
So I shook it off and turned on my blinker–
I’d reached my exit
I got off the freeway
…..drove home
………..and
……fell asleep
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To read the previous installment, “Deathwish 052: Colin”, go here. To participate in Deathwish, find details here.
Melchor was born in Stockton, California, and currently lives in Stockton, CA.