A Drink to Quench

A girl who has a sip of water before she crashes on the freeway

Light's flashing by on the freeway.

They take their time coming, but

flash away so fast

you'd think they're scared. 

"I'm thirsty," I say.

"Have some water," Mother says.

I grab the cold water bottle from under my seat

while staring at the cars going the opposite way.

All these people running somewhere

or coming home.

Coming so slow then leaving in a flash,

am I that frightening?

I take a large gulp of water and feel it

slide down my throat, feeling

the cooling of my parched throat.

I still had a little in my mouth 

when

there came a screech and I looked ahead.

"How pretty," I think.

The lights of the car come closer,

so close I can reach out and touch it.

Ah, a pair of lights that have not abandoned me.

They've come to greet me. 

That is why I did not close my eyes

when I found myself flying towards them.

I, too, have become a flash.

And in this moment I still have the bit of water

in my mouth, soothing me.

To think I would greet the light 

with water in my mouth, I could laugh.

I would, if I had time.

My body, about fifty to sixty percent water,

and then some. The unconsumed some.

Water, the giver of life, the basic necessity, 

comes to walk me to my end, and then some.

One of the basic elements

once thought to be the beginning of everything.

The tasteless sweet bliss carried within my lips

to cool the fires that will soon burn me.

I should scream.

It would be appropriate.

But I cannot stand to loose

the last taste of life

before I meet my friend, 

the light,

who has kindly stopped for me,

and grows brighter, brighter yet. 

Author's Note

I was getting a ride to the school I volunteer at when I suddenly felt thirsty. I drank some water and as I drank I wondered what it would be like to suddenly die and have water the last thing I taste. Strange, I know.

Reviews

[cilla]

What a dilemma ... the scream or the delicious water? Well, the scream really isn't going to do much good so why not quench your thirst? This is a predicament we have all possibly thought about at one time or another ... more so as you age ... what if you only had a few seconds before sure death? Does your life really flash in front of you or does it come down to the simple choice of drink or scream?

It's a great concept to explore and you did a very good job of presenting. And, yeah, I would probably be a wimp and spit the water out and scream my a*s off!

Great concept ... and poem!

[sivan]

such peculiar penning but entertaining all the same. good stuff

[Michael X]

wow, you have a way of bringing the reader into the moment, to feel the
parched thirst, the waves of craving, passionate and symbolic, stunning.