This poem was inspired by a commercial to warn people away from texting and driving. It is something a lot of people hear about but ignore thinking it will never happen to them. Trigger warning: it is depressing.

He smiled back at his daughter

Who sat happy in the backseat,

He heard a vibration from his phone,

While he peeked he did nothing to check

After all his daughter was in the car,

Soon enough they were at her friends’ house,

He pulled over and watched her until she was inside,

Not that she was gone he looked to his phone,

It had been his wife,

‘Can’t find dog, text you again in a bit’

He drove off once again,

He was on a windy road,

When his phone vibrated again,

He was alone now,

So checking would be fine,

He didn’t see her,

The little girl,

Whose’ ball just fell into the road,

Who from the looks of it was only 8 years old,

The same age as his daughter,

‘Found him, neighbors’ yard, love you’

He turned his eyes to the road,

And finally saw that sweet little girl,

He desperately hit the brakes,

And turned the wheel,

But it was too late,

He could hear bones crack,

As the car made impact,

Finally it stopped,

And he got out quickly,

Checking on the now still girl,

Whose bones seemed to be at the angle,

And body was covered in blood,

He quickly dialed 911,

While he felt at her neck for a pulse,

There was a very faint one,

“Come on sweetheart be okay”

Hey eyes opened slightly,

“Mommy?”

She asked her voice barely above a whisper,

A sudden womens’ scream broke the mans silence,

“Abby!”

A woman ran up to them falling next to the little girl,

“Abby baby, oh god…”

She was sobbing,

“911 what’s your emergency?”

“Please I didn’t mean to hit her, oh god”

He gave them the address of where the where,

As the woman,

Who he guessed was the mom,

Clung to the little girls hand,

Whispering sweet nothings into her ear,

Like how she was going to be okay,

And that she would grow and be a dancer,

Just like she always wanted,

She talked about the future she would have,

Loud sirens filled the air,

And an ambulance parked next to the scene,

The man couldn’t really hear anything that was going on,

In his head he was seeing his little girl,

Even as the ambulance loaded the small girl up,

A hard punch to the face was what brought him to reality,

“You fucker, if my baby dies I will kill you!”

A man in a cop uniform stood in front of him now,

Tear falling down his face,

He stared silently at the man,

This could be him,

That could be his little girl,

“I… I didn’t know… I was alone… I…”

Another punch to the face,

“You’re never alone, on the road!”