The ride home is always torture
She kills me, she really does
The radio whispers in the background
Raindrops beat against the windshield
The tires hiss across the wet pavement
She could be crying for all I know
I’m not going to turn my head and look

White headlights fly towards us
I could close my eyes and let the car drift
I could suddenly jerk the wheel to the side
I could all end it all right here
Would she even scream?
The traffic light turns red, and I ease to a stop
The red light, the perfect opportunity to talk
Silence.

My soul twitches,
And I gasp for air.
When I open my eyes,
I’m flooded in color and light.
And as everything focuses,
I can see a straight line
From my eyes to yours.
In that moment of silence,
As our hearts beat as one,
Our pulse moving through time,
Soaring through the foggy haze,
Above the dark clouds,
Floating free,
And I remember how good it feels
To be alive again.

Are you ready for the trip?
Waiting patiently at the door
Baggage packed and loaded fit
Foot tapping, timing, on the floor

Make sure we have all we need
Food, water, clothing, shelter, check
Money for emergencies
My baggage, your baggage, we’re set

Our course set to somewhere far
A place that we have never been
Jammed inside my little car
Open road, riding like the wind

Just like trips of childhood past
Reminding me of happy times
Memories that always last
Forlorn, I breathe a heavy sigh

The day is now forsaken
As darkness falls upon the world
And stars from sleep awaken
Full moon floating, midnight pearl

Driving now unsafely fast
Risking we may arrive sooner
Radio plays sounds of past
The somber voices of crooners

I’ll tell you all my stories
If you really care to hear them
My world in all its glory
Sit back, close your eyes, and listen

Driving home from work tonight
The electronic sign above the freeway says:
AMBER ALERT
MISSING CHILD
A car’s license plate number and make and model included
Fear came over me
The fear of being ten years old and holding a piece of paper
At the top of the page, in big, bold letters:
MISSING
A girl’s picture and information included
Taken from a friend’s slumber party in the middle of the night
She was my age, and lived not too far away
My imagination conjuring up images of horror
The struggle, the muffled cries for help
The streams of tears
She was all over the news
All the neighborhood kids were terrified
A few months later she was found in a trash bin
Another life wasted
Destruction of innocence
Another sign displays the same grim message
In electronic yellow print
Dead or alive, one thing is certain
Tonight another child learned all too soon
How awful the human race really is

I can’t believe you’re capable of such an
Atrocity
There must be a very good
Explanation for
This
Horrible and
Evil act of selfishness
Look at you
Acting as if nothing happened
Smiling and standing
There looking so very
Proud of what you’ve done
If you could only see yourself
Everybody will hear about this
Consider this your warning
Every action has an equal and
Opposite reaction
Forget about how
Pleasant you feel right now
It will soon come to an
End