"Just a Dream"
“Just a Dream”
Sophie Burchill
When I was young
I knew I was going to be an artist.
Someone who took their craft seriously
And worked their hardest.
I’d draw, paint,
Sleep, eat and repeat.
When it came to my passion
I’d never skip a beat.
I wouldn’t crush my dream
Even for a million dollars.
I’d rather be on the streets
Than have a white collar.
I knew there would be ups
And downs alike,
But I didn’t expect such treachery to occur
On one fateful night.
I was a good kid
That never thought to harm.
At least I didn’t think my car
Could be used as a firearm.
I had heard news of a fatal car accident
Caused by a drunk driver.
The cars were destroyed
Without a single survivor.
I didn’t think much of it
Because it would never happen to me.
As I said, I was a good kid
Not just a somebody.
I almost always said “no” to parties and drinks
I never cared for that skunk smelling stink.
But this time I obliged and went along for the show.
This was not going to end well, little did I know.
We stayed for an hour as I took on a keg
I felt woozy and later found a needle in my leg.
I had a class at eight and it was already twelve.
I had my car and we could take care of ourselves.
Down the straight road a little over ninety
I looked back to see a blue flash behind me
And without looking forward again
I brought two peoples’ lives to an end.
All I saw for years were bars and blood
Not to mention the scraps of life buried in mud.
A little girl on her way home from a friend’s house.
“I guess she had a nightmare,” said the dead father’s spouse.
She too had a dream of becoming an artist.
Her mother said she always worked her hardest.
She’d draw, paint,
Sleep, eat and repeat.
When it came to her passion
She’d never skip a beat.
She was nine
And I, eighteen.
Why did I get to live?
Instead of being dead on the scene…
… In reality for me
This is just a dream.
But for some
This is all that it seems.
Some have taken a life or two
That will never come back.
The sentencing will be harsh
But flashbacks will never lack.
This doesn’t have to be the case though
Even if you don’t have a dream.
Help prevent innocent deaths
From becoming part of a common theme.