The Game, Playing the Game

'I want you to use all your powers and your skills
I don’t want his mother to see him like this
Look, look how they massacred my boy'...
Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) in “The Godfather”
-------------------------------------------------------
Playing the game. It's a game isn't it?
Life is but a game, but a dream isn't it?

I drove home by that road many, many times,
that very same short-cut country road that you took
that road where our lives crashed, exploded and shattered
shattered in jagged shards of Silver-Saturn pieces

(This is where you must have seen the swerving headlights
What were your thoughts? Were you worried? Were you alarmed?
This is the spot, oh God this is where, where it all hap...
What were your LAST thoughts? What were your last words
when that pick-up jumped, jumped and flew out of that ditch?
You always said "WHAT THE"...Yeah, you must have said that)

Driving myself to madness playing the 'what if' game
What if you had driven just a little faster?
A little slower? Stopped to pick up something?
DIDN'T stop to pick up something? (Did-didn't-did...)
Stayed at work a minute longer, or left a minute early?
(What-if-what-if what-if-why-where-what-how)

Just what are the odds? Just what are the chances?
2:AM? Maybe one car, one car every 2 hours or so?
If it were a head-on collision, you may have survived
If on the rear side, perhaps only a violent spin
But no, no it had to be on the driver’s side door
It was 'perfect timing, a 'perfect' flash in time
(Perfect-imperfect-perfect-why-where-what-when)

I drove home by that same road many, many times,
that very same short-cut country road that you took
that country road you were driving; innocently driving
just trying to get back home...
 
Yes, playing the game. It's a game isn't it?
Life is but a game, but a dream isn't it?
ISN'T it.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2014

Poem

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12
Haight Avatar
December 17, 2015 at 8:51 PM
Tim, congratulations on your 1st Place win! Sandra
A  Avatar
December 17, 2015 at 3:44 PM
TIM, Congrats on your old best poem. HUGS **SKAT**
Konos Avatar
December 17, 2015 at 9:27 AM
Tim reading your poem hit home. Lost my son in law in a similar situation...can't answer your question....so I just chalk it off as God called him home....So Young leaving a family behind...Hope your poem was merely a muse...Judy..
Ryerson Avatar
December 17, 2015 at 4:00 PM
Judy -The above reply was intended for you...My apologies Silent One but thanks for the congrats
A   Avatar
June 30, 2015 at 6:39 PM
Tim, Congratulations on your old favorite poem. Always ~LINDA~
Richards Avatar
June 28, 2015 at 10:46 AM
This is one I have read before, but it hits home again......one that is painful to read, but somehow helps express the futile questions that cannot be answered in this life, regardless of how many times we try to wring out the pieces of the puzzle, and make some sense of loss. Your own losses have been more than one person should have to bear.....but the fact that you can still smile, and offer friendship, shows that some spirits cannot be broken. :) Hugs
Lamoureux Avatar
June 28, 2015 at 9:22 AM
I think at times we have all played the what if game! A grea winning poem!
A  Avatar
June 28, 2015 at 12:44 AM
Tim, Congrats on your win......Love SKAT
Merryman Avatar
June 27, 2015 at 8:15 PM
Tim, this is heart-wrenching! So terribly sad, but extremely well written. Congrats on your 1st place win! Love, KIm
Hamilton Avatar
June 27, 2015 at 3:38 AM
the anguish, the pain and sorrow pours from this touching write of if only Tim Congrats on 1st place hugs
Roper Avatar
May 18, 2015 at 1:51 PM
Very beautiful poem, congratulations on your win a 7 hugs
Dietrich Avatar
May 17, 2015 at 10:37 AM
'too bad I can't fave this one again. It may be your masterpiece, my friend. BIG congrats.
A   Avatar
May 14, 2015 at 7:45 PM
A wonderful win Tim :)
A  Avatar
May 14, 2015 at 5:25 PM
Tim, nice choice Congrats on your win. ~SKAT~
Allison Avatar
May 14, 2015 at 10:30 AM
Dropping back again with my congrats Tim:-) hugs Jan xx
A   Avatar
December 26, 2014 at 10:19 PM
TIM, Awesome Best of 2014 poem, and win.... Congrats.... Linda
Mehta Avatar
December 18, 2014 at 5:40 AM
Dropping again to read and congratulate you on this fine win, Tim
Allison Avatar
December 17, 2014 at 2:39 PM
I remember reading this under my Jadazzle membership - so powerful and so so sad - am so pleased you won with this so it will be read by a wider audience:-) hugs Jan xxx
Mehta Avatar
September 13, 2014 at 8:37 AM
Very powerful write, Tim. congrats
A. Sharma Avatar
September 12, 2014 at 11:41 PM
Thoughtful n extremely sad write Tim! Touchy n emotional !Congrats on fine win!
Meier-Hans Avatar
September 12, 2014 at 10:44 PM
So sad Tim. Congratulations on your win.
A   Avatar
September 12, 2014 at 2:05 PM
Tim, Congratulations, on your awesome win. Thank you for supporting one of my latest contest. Enjoy my newest blog "A Senior Moment" if you'd like. LOVE LINDA
Dietrich Avatar
August 4, 2014 at 3:23 PM
YES< this is EXACTLY what I was talking about with you. I LOVE this, Tim. It's so much like what happened to my brother Dale back in '85. He was all alone sitting on a CURB, not even on a street, 2 a.m. in a Houston Suburb. OUt of nowhere, a drunk with a girl on his lap, crashes into a tree, killing Dale at the same time, running him down. The police had to tell them that there was a guy under the car!!His punishment was NOTHING. not even a bloody fine.
Ryerson Avatar
August 9, 2014 at 4:42 AM
I remember you telling me about the above Andrea...That in itself is a 'bloody' CRIME!! The young 'man' who took my son's life got one year less time served which ending up being 9 months!? Thanks for the fav, best friend on the Soup...
Dietrich Avatar
August 4, 2014 at 3:23 PM
a FAVE
Strand Avatar
August 2, 2014 at 4:06 AM
Thanks Tim for your kind words on my phrasis,Have a great weekend.Rgds Brian
A   Avatar
July 25, 2014 at 7:42 PM
You are welcome, TIM
12
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