The bright lights flash before their eyes
The light is so bright it’s blinding
It feels like the sun’s brightness
They are convinced it is the sun
It was what the booze and the ganja said
They had their bodies but their minds were far
The booze had taken them to cloud nine
The ganja had taken them to Heaven
Now they were back to planet Earth
And were being tormented by the sun
The lights disappear instantly
They watch in obvious astonishment
As red lights recede into the distant horizon
Slowly they realize to their shock and relief
That they had not actually seen the sun
The lights had only been the bright headlights
Of a passing car speeding off on the dark night
It is so funny to him that he laughs
He laughs too, almost choking.
Then they laugh altogether some more
“Man, I thought that was the sun” he says
“I thought it was coming right at me” he says
They laugh some more as they realize
That they are indeed super high
“Man! That was crazy” he says
“Ridiculous” he says. “We must be very high”
They laugh again, this time much louder
Bystanders and drivers begin to wonder
Why these two men laugh like mad men
As they stand in front of the club
Finally they stop laughing
And with mouths dripping and tears in their eyes
They hold onto their aching sides
They had been totally oblivious of the spectators
For as far as they knew or ever cared
Every other person in the world could go to hell
“Where’s the car?” he asks
“What car?” he asks. “Oh, where’s the car?”
They look around until they finally see it
Parked a few metres away from where they stood
They laugh again, this time almost to their very death
They fall to the ground writhing in crazy laughter
Still holding onto their aching sides
They stop laughing after another while
“That was so funny” he says. “We must be really high”
“You bet!” he says. “We’re so stoned”
“Who’s driving?” he asks
“You are” he says. “I’m far too high”
He sighs. “I’m high too but I guess I’ll manage”
He fishes for the keys in his pocket
Minutes later they are on the highway
And he drives at an alarming speed
The strong breeze kisses their faces furiously
It feels so good; a perfect icing on the cake
“Man, this is Heaven” he says. ‘I feel extra cool”
“Not nearly as good as I feel” he says
Then he steps on the pedal a little harder
The car accelerates dangerously
He closes his eyes and breathes happily
He smiles because he’s never felt so good
‘Dare me” he says.
He looks from the wheels. “To do what?”
“On anything” he says. “Dare me to scream.”
“I dare you to scream like a mad man” he says
He laughs and sticks his head out of the window
Then at the top of his voice, louder than ever
He screams into the dark night
They laugh excitedly like mad hyenas
He loses control of the wheels
And the car swerves on the highway dangerously
He catches himself and struggles to steady the car
He tries to help him with the wheels too
Finally the scare is over and they breathe and sigh
“Man, that was close!” he says.
“It sure was” he says, gripping the wheels tightly
They laugh again, albeit more carefully
“You dared me and I screamed” he says
“Wanna dare me some more?”
He smiles as he handles the wheels
“Why don’t you dare me instead?” he asks
He ponders for a little while
“What can you do?” he asks
“Dare me to floor the pedal and exhaust the meter”
He exhales excitedly “Wao, you can do that?”
He shrugs “Piece of cake. Wanna dare me?”
“I dare you!” he says
“You do?” he asks, with a serious face
“You bet! I dare you, man!” he says
He grins excitedly. “You’ll love this” he says
Then he floors the pedal
The speedometer hand rises
60 miles per hour become 80 miles
80 miles per hour become 100 miles
The meter hand keeps going
He exclaims “Cool!”
He simply smiles and floors the pedal some more
The hand inches towards 140 miles per hour
The wind blows much more fiercely
It no longer feels cool. It hurts
Tears flow fast on the corners of his eyes
All he can feel is the harsh wind on his face
He does not feel the speed of the car
However he can sense danger
He looks at his friend on the wheels
His grip is firm on the wheels
And he looks straight ahead
His face showing grim determination
To do what he had been dared to do
He can still sense the danger but he feels numb
He cannot reach his friend. He feels lame
Everything goes silent
He feels hung in space
The wind hurts no more
In fact it is hardly noticeable
He sees the end so close to the door
But he cannot reach the door to shut it
He cannot reach his friend’s mind either
His mind is not with him for he has lost it
All he has is the desire to prove
That he can indeed do what he has been dared to do
He finally comes to himself
He recovers too
But it’s a little too late
“Stop it!” he screams
“I can’t” he cries out. “It’s too fast”
The car swerves hazardously
First to the right
Bright lights flash all across the road
Then it swerves to the left
And veers off the road
The car spins carelessly
The occupants scream loudly
But no one hears
For all that scream was inaudible
The men were too stoned to even scream
All they could see at that moment
Was a film of their lives flashing before their eyes
The last thing they see is booze and ganja
The car somersaults and crashes many metres away
The explosion shatters the dark and peaceful night
He opens his eyes and exhales painfully
“Man, where were you?” he says
He looks at the table
And sees the booze and the ganja
He looks at his friend
And realizes it had all been a bad trance, a daze
He gets up quickly
“Where are you going?” he asks, surprised
“I’m getting the hell outta here” he says
“And I think you should too” he adds
He watches his friend leave hurriedly
And wonders what had gone wrong with him
He shrugs and shakes his head
“It’s his loss” he says to himself
He calls the bartender and asks for a wine opener
He asks for a match box too
He opens the wine and fills up his glass
He lights his ganja too, inhales and puffs
He wonders about his friend once more
As his glance settles on his car keys on the table
Wow!!!! Gbenga this can hardly be called poetry, It is raw, thrilling fiction!!! Absolutely love it!!! It’s like the next installment of that movie ‘Final destination’..great, great job!!!
Thanks Mercy. Funny enough i’m yet to see ‘Final Destination’
I’m with Mercy. This is WOW! And the ending . . . I’m speechless . . .
I can imagine. Thanks for the words, Lade.
lovely ending.
great lines.
Thanks Anderson
Breathtaking!! I felt like I was on that ride, screaming my vocal cords off, swimming in a pool of liquid fear.
Gbenga, you write and more importantly, you Rise!
Thanks Remi. I actually felt I was in it too while I wrote. Your comments are well ‘head-swelling’. lol
It’s not a poem…it’s a recitation…a recitation of actual events being remembered and narrated to a crowd of eager listeners…
THIS IS INCREDIBLE.
I agree with you Seun and I hope to do this in spoken word sometime soon. What do you think?
Go ahead man…it will be a hit…so long as you have mastered YOUR delivery and style…KUDOS…!
I’ll definitely work towards that. Thanks for the encouragement, Seun.
Awwwwww,standing ovation,serzly it’s like final destination oh,cheiiiii I wish it was not a trance,really lovely.
You ehnn,you rock,rock,rock.
Thanks gretel. Haba, you wish it was real? Those guys would not have had a second chance then. lol. Thanks again.
Wow, wow..still breathing…wish it was reality…well, a lesson learned before time…nice recital man….well done….
Thanks man. A lesson well learnt indeed . . . a second chance to make things right. Not everyone gets that.
Nice one Gbenga; really nice. Twas really vivid. I ditto Mercy and Lade.
I also like how Treasured1 put it, “a lesson learned before time.”
Well done!
Thanks Abby.
This was a beautiful piece, too good to be called poetry. keep it up.
so…..poetry can not be this good?? lol just asking
lol. Trust me, people have written much better stuff. I appreciate your comment, Laydeeb
Thanks man. I agree with you.
Thanks bro. I agree with you.
So off the hook. Good stuff. Know a Gbenga who stays in Abuja who’d’ve written same thing. Good one bro.
Another Gbenga? Are you sure it’s not me? lol. I guess God creates two people in one sometimes. Thanks for the words bro.
Nice. I actually thought it was the end for them, and twice too. Well done.
It would have been the end . . . and well could still be, if our other guy uses those ‘keys on the table’ eventually.
LOVE IT!!! jeezz some people should stay away from ganja and booze!!! I absolutely love this. You have officially inspired me!! thanks!
Yes indeed, people need to stay away from these things . . . and if they can’t, they should stay away from the steering wheels.
By ‘officially inspired me’, I hope you don’t mean you’ve been . . . lol. Don’t mind me, just messing around. Thanks again Laydeeb.
Talk about graphic with an ‘F’!fast paced action in a few lines! great job Gbenga…you’ve got a fan…wink!
Ooooooh, I’m flattered and my head’s about to blow. lol. Thanks sis. I appreciate the comment.
…………………………………………………….
Great Lines
making minds
like mine to revel
and for fear to be dispelled
…………………………………………………….