The Blood Stain

A poem about my friend’s fatal car accident.

Dried up drops of your blood join together to form this stain permanently etched into the asphalt on Markle Road and embedded in my memory forever

it was the first time you drove your sister’s Mazda convertible, the car you weren’t allowed to drive

Around the bend you lost control, and you flipped it with the top down

I heard the fire hall sirens scream as they pleaded for volunteers to help my brother’s radio shrieked echoing the sounds of your tires and your voice

Two days before I remember the call and can still hear the confusion in your voice stunned that you passed the test rattling off reasons for your disbelief

you sped followed to close didn’t come to a full stop couldn’t parallel park yet, they passed you

I told you all that mattered was that you passed and finally received your driver’s license, the gateway to freedom for every teenager

I was wrong it did matter you mattered both of us now shattered

Two days later I am here and now you are gone

you passed in more ways than one

all that’s left of you is the blood stain on Markle Road half of mile from my home

a daily reminder to me of your last breath