HELPLESSNESS

ANOTHER SOMEWHAT LONG DAY

NOW THINKING OF A PLAN FOR TONIGHT

AS I SMOKE ANOTHER CIGARETTE

AND FEEL THE TUNES ON THE RADIO

JUST MINUTES AWAY FROM HOME

EVERYONE FLYING DOWN THE PARKWAY

JUST TRYING TO GET HOME

UNTIL SOMETHING BEGINS TO CHANGE OUR PLANS

SO I CAN SEE THE LIGHT IS TURNING RED

AS WE ALL BEGIN TO SLOW DOWN

AND WE ALL ARE STOPPED

WE ALL CAN SEE A GRAVE MISTAKE

TRAFFIC HAS STOPPED ON THE OTHER SIDE

MORE CARS ARE STOPPING

SIX OR SEVEN PEOPLE ON CELL PHONES

OTHERS ARE CRYING AND FRANTIC

WE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY

WE LOOK SITTING AT THE RED LIGHT

WE SEE THE REMINENTS OF A CRUMBLED BICYCLE

AND A BODY HALF ON THE CURB, HALF ON THE ROAD

A SENSE OF HELPLESSNESS

A BODY IN A BALL

HEAD BURYED IN THE STREET

VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT

OUR STOMACHS TURNING

AS OTHERS LIVES ARE CHANGING

OUR LIGHT TURNS GREEN

AND WE ALL MOVE ON

AS WE HEAR THE POLICE COMING

AND KNOW THE AMULANCE WILL FOLLOW

ALL OF US THAT WERE LOOKING

WE ALL FEEL THE HELPLESSNESS

AS TOMORROW BRINGS MORE

Joseph A DeVoe

10/8/09