Poem: The End

[ernest]

 

It goes like this:
On the side of the road,
By some tiny town you've never heard of,
You step out of the grass
And into the path
Of an industrial-strength truck.
Bright red, you remember later.

Or:
It's been a long day
So you're late coming home.
Expecting a greeting,
you get a note instead.
"See you around," it says, "I tried,
But you were so busy,
And waiting is so hard"

Earlier:
A nameless bar
On a forgettable night
And a woman who smiles at you -
Her hair, red as a sunset,

Her teeth, brilliant in the candlelight,
And slim red lips invite you
Into her night, her life -
A real femme fatale.

Another time:
In a high school lab,
You add water to a solution,
But it's hydrogen peroxide,
And discover the difference
One oxygen can make.
Too much of anything can kill you.

Take zero:
No longer safe and warm,
Maybe you never will be again,
The world presses down on you.
So having no other choice,
You scream.