POEM - Hot Rod Pinto

OK, here’s what happened, I swear

Melvin can tell you

He was there

Though he might need a minute

He’s a little freaked out

See, we were just driving around

Getting boxes for moving

Over in the industrial park

            Yeah, the big one off Broadway

We were in the Pinto

            You know the one

                        The turd brown station wagon

I had just got it back running

Put a new stereo in it too!

Anyway, not the point, but the music was good

I think we had “Houses of the Holy” going

            Though it could have been Fishbone

                        Or that Agent Orange he liked

                                    I can’t remember right now

                        But it was great!

            And loud

Right. The point is we were in the industrial park

Here’s how it went down:

Sometimes you see opportunities

They are so clear you just act

No thinking, just doing

Hoping it all turns out right

            Knowing that it will be great

                        No matter the end result

So they had this truck bay

And the concrete sloped just right

And the road fell off just so

And I was at the right angle

So I gunned it

            Yelled to Mel, “Buckle Up!”

See, that’s what got him

            He tried, you know he did

But, well, when he yanked the belt

            It detached completely

                        His hand just kept going

                                    And his eyes grew to twice their size

Because, you see, it was too late

We were already there

Nearly airborne as I said it

We flew for a few moments

            A few exhilarating, magical moments

Until gravity took over just enough

            And we landed, perfectly

Melvin was still in tact

My dashboard, however, was not

As soon as we landed, a crashing sound

Then the entire instrument panel disappeared

As a shower of white dust covered my legs

From the aging plastic support structure

That shattered like safety glass

So that’s why my speedometer is looking lazy

            The reason why I have to pull this string

                        To lift this gauge

And see how much gas I have

Why Melvin is having second thoughts

            About riding in the passenger seat