Cruising along the pavement
Drunken ignorance rose as bubbly hiccups burst out
Headlights bounced
off the trees.
Everything was weightless as the car kissed
the untouched nature off the side of the road
Our bodies tossed around like we were in a salad

Waking up, our world was normal
for a moment
Sitting still and perfect in those cozy black leather seats
But something was off.
I reached up and touched my naked nose;
My glasses weren’t there.
As my fingers gently glided along my forehead
I felt the gore beyond my peeled skin;
It was as if I was touching a stranger.

Panic choked me – my head couldn’t turn to tell the others
in the car.
We weren’t sitting in those black leather seats anymore.
My world was turned upside down.
Lying on the roof was somehow comfortable and warm.

I look at the recovering
battle scars.
My skin is a canvas
of survival.

What if death had stolen our breath?
Before that night we never pondered that question.
Now it invades my mind,
stripping it of sanity,
making me shudder
with gratitude.

Author’s note: “I was in an extremely bad drunk driving accident in 2015. Sitting in the passenger seat, my neck was broken and I had head trauma. I almost died and was a millimeter away from being paralyzed. It was a wake-up call for me and my friends, family, and peers. I hope this poem helps others realize the grave risk of driving under the influence.”