The night wore its dark coat
heavy and loose on my shoulders.
I mistook my bravado for bravery,
a bottle my compass, no maps.
The road whispered slow warnings
I ignored like a reckless child.
Rubber met asphalt, a clumsy waltz,
headlights slicing silence into fragments.
And then—soft thud, life interrupted.
Fur crumpled, breath stolen mid-flight.
I stumbled out, whiskey on my tongue,
and found innocence under my wheels.
Grief howls like a wounded dog,
its teeth sharper than morning regret.
I thank the stars for stopping there,
no mother\'s son beneath my tires.