But for the Grace of God...

The fog shone amber
     rising up to meet the shafts of my headlights
cutting the darkness but just barely
     as i made my way past farms and marsh
Road glistened wet blackness 
     the yellow dividing line reflecting back
keeping me in line as i sought the right track
     as ever , as ever...

Then in the grey curtain before me
     i heard the crash and grinding of steel on asphalt 
sparks in the distance sliding forward and toward me
     slowly  i brought my car to a halt
and my eyes beheld  the origin of the tumult
      A lone car, upended, lying across the road
with horn still blaring and lights flickering
     like a gaudy Time Square neon sign

I hesitated for a moment,
     not knowing what i would find
and then opened the door
     and what i saw made me wish for blindness
No face had he as he had stuck the steering wheel
     but he was still alive and gasping
so i knew this nightmare was real
     I held his hand then as i began to kneel
and felt for the seatbelt to release him
     With each gasping breath he sprayed me with blood,
the cold of the morning gave it the consistency of mud,
     he muttered something about his son
as he breathed his last into my face...

The sound of sirens filled the air as i turned off his car ,
     nervously running my fingers through my hair
wishing for all the world i wasn't there
    and sat on the guardrail , waiting
As i sat crying and shaking, i saw his soul rise
    a blue film like smoke rose before my eyes
it wavered and hovered for a moment
    then beacame a speck of light
and traveled slowly up into the night
     to join the rest of the lights shining
The medics came and washed me face
    and led me back to my car, there to wait
only then did i realize that might have been my fate
   was he a moment early or was i a moment too late?