Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’ve all had a great year and that you enjoyed your Christmas and New Year’s Day, wherever you happened to be. This month, I wrote a poem that may, or may not, be related to a true story that I may, or may not, have been directly involved with. But, whether it’s true, or not, I’m sure it happened years ago, and the main character in the poem has long since changed his driving behavior. If you’re familiar with the north side of the San Francisco Bay area of California, then I’m sure you know how foggy it can get there. It’s best just to take your time and get through it safely, if not for the safety of yourself, for the others around you. But it also isn’t a great idea to get in a hurry and then find yourself making small talk with the law man! I hope you find a bit of humor in this poem that might, or might not, be based on a true story.
BUSTED IN A HURRY
By Trevor Hardwick
Slippin’ through the fog, on 101 in Petaluma,
I was tryin’ to beat the traffic, goin’ faster than I should.
It was Saturday, so traffic really shouldn’t be a problem,
I was rested-up and runnin’ light, and feelin’ pretty good.
I noticed that another rig was closing in behind me,
The fog was gettin’ thicker, I could barely see my hood.
That didn’t seem to bother either one of us too greatly,
We just kept our focus on the line, and put ‘er to the wood.
Bad decisions always seem to come to me too quickly,
Good decisions never seem to be there when they should.
Somewhere ‘round the south of Santa Rosa’s city limit,
On a foggy California morning, there a sheriff stood.
He motioned both of us to pull or rigs onto the shoulder,
I didn’t know the outcome, but I knew it wasn’t good.
The sheriff didn’t look impressed, with me and my comrade,
And didn’t like how we were speeding, in his neighborhood.
He walked up tall and proud, with his back to the highway,
His stature, clearly taller than my old Freightliner hood.
I knew he caught me speedin’ as he stepped up to my door,
But I couldn’t keep my silence, like a smart civilian would.
Bad decisions always seem to come to me too quickly,
Good decisions never seem to be there when they should.
He said, “I’ve been waitin’ for someone like you all morning!”
I said, “Officer, I got here just as quickly as I could!”