Driving Home on a Snowy Winter’s Evening
What do you do when you’ve just got home after driving in bad weather? Writing a spoken word about is normal, right? I wrote this after driving home during the start of our first real long-lasting snowstorm of the season. I’ve dramatized a lot, it really wasn’t that bad. You know (insert joke about New York and snow).
Wasn’t it clear twenty minutes ago?
Why is all the traffic moving so slow-ly
-eave all the leaves on the trees, cause I wish it was green
And we were not stressed in this mess where nothing is seen
Far from the plows can keep everything clean
Is that water or ice?
Bro, turn off your high beams
Because now everyone’s blind
And that’s just what we need
Millions of drivers who no longer see
Caught in this sea
Just enough space to keep your distance from me
If I slam on my brakes
One of us’ gonna break
And I think you agree
That’s not a risk we should take
Then caught in the cold on the side of the road
Waiting for troopers and our cars to be towed
Yeah I’m spiraling now
Not in the way that I drive
But the way that I think
My thoughts skidding around
Like the snow as it weaves through the air to the ground
I’m remembering now
What my mom used to say
“Make sure to give yourself plenty of space
Drive to get home, cause it’s not a race
The way that you win is to get safely in
Back to your home and the people you love
It’s okay that you’re not going thirty above”
(You know that I’m just joking about that
I don’t usually go quite that fast)
“You got places to be? Those places can wait
Drive to arrive, it’s okay if you’re late”
Not like that guy over there
I shouldn’t cast blame
But honestly, I’m just glad you’re not in my lane
You wanna go fast! I can get behind that
Preferably as far as I can possibly get
You stay right up there
And I’ll go slow back here
And the distance between us
Just eases my fear
My exit appears
And now the road’s bad
I’m getting cantankerous
Probably because the road’s so dangerous
Not because that driver’s an idiot
And I haven’t eaten in a bit
Hangry’s no joke, but I’m driving real slow
Cause I gotta make it home, been too long on the road
Not just the trees, but my knuckles turn white
Holding the wheel tight, like it’s a fight
Wishing for day, so there could be light
I wouldn’t face the sight of this white blight that might
Make my Insight slide right off the side of this
Slight right that I’m taking too tight
Feel so light, like a kite
Loosed in the night
I’m still on the road
But I’m almost home
Just a little to go
No stopping by the woods on this frosty winter’s eve
Trust me
Once I’m there, you’ll need to force me to leave
Stay safe out there!