just a small drink, that's all that he wanted
then maybe he would not feel so haunted
tormented by the awful day
he took a child's life away
a drink right now would make him calm
he did not mean to cause her harm
in his mind it wasn't his fault
his precious car forgot to halt.
he could handle his drink, he could drive well his car
that he knew as he left the bar
he didn't mean to end her life
he was just going home to his kids and his wife
he was driving along, not a care in the world
opening the bottle when he hit the girl
he wasn't at fault, she should not have crossed
why should they blame him for a little life lost?
why the hell did she ride out out in the path of him
couldn't she see he was sipping his gin?
he was quite sure that he was not to blame
he did not need to feel any shame
there was nobody there who could give him support
the poor broken man, alone in the court
why should they charge him? he saw no-one there
the law is an ass and clearly unfair
if she had not been there, if she stayed at home
he would not have killed her, he would not be alone
it was clear to this man that the case was so cruel
just because he'd been drinking, they made him look a fool
why wouldn't they believe him? he'd had little to drink
and it was for sure that the gin helped him think
the gin helped him think he could drive like a stuntman
now the whole world was saying "you are a c/.t man"
the gin made it clear that the child was to blame
so why had he started to feel such shame?
he would kill for a drink to himself he was saying
now the verdict was in, he heard himself praying
what did they mean she was killed by drink driving?
and why did they add that at age 5 she was thriving
he was too drunk to see mum by her side
she was holding her hand when she finally died
he just got 3 years cos the law here does stink
it isn't called murder when you kill them with drink!!!
© 2003, Ian Hunter-Howarth, poetik licence (ian_hunter_h(at)hotmail.com).
All rights reserved. (This and other poetik licence poems can be found at http://poets.unknowncommunity.com/db/poems/22636?pl=user where it was originally published and at http://www.thestarlitecafe.com/poems/76/poem_8233383265.html)
A message from the author: In Britain, death by drink driving is not murder, though most people agree that it clearly should be. The laws against drink driving, etc., in Britain are pathetic. Most people just lose their licences, while the victims' families lose everything.
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