'Twas the night before Christmas and back at the house
Mrs. King was so worried, about her dear spouse
She sat in her rocker with a far away stare
Praying her sweet husband soon would be there
The children were crying, two girls and a lad
For him to be this late, it had to be bad.

He said he had to do some last minute shopping
Said he wouldn't be long, he wouldn't be stopping
When he left he said, he'd be back before seven
The clock on the wall reads half past eleven
When all of a sudden, came a knock at the door
Her legs went so weak as she walked across the floor

Two officers standing on fresh fallen snow
Said "Is your husbands name Bill? This is what we know.
He was on his way home when he witnessed a crash
There were cracks in the windshield and blood on the dash
He ran to the car, he knew he had to be quick
The strong smell of fuel was making him sick
He pulled her crumpled body out of the wreck
He knew when he saw her, she had broken her neck
His heart was breaking at the accident scene
This innocent girl was no more than eighteen
He couldn't hold back, he cried out in the night
Her heart had stopped beating, and she lost the fight.

Up ahead on the roadside, not very far
He heard music coming from the other car
Bright beams from the headlamp, was the only light
Playing on the radio was Silent Night
He entered the car from the passenger side
The driver was dead, with his eyes opened wide
The smell of alcohol, of a popular brand
The half bottle of rum was still in his hand.

We took Bill to the hospital, he was in shock
His body was trembling, he could barely talk
He asked us to take these gifts to his house
Three for the children and one for his spouse
She thanked the officers as they took their leave
She thought of the people who were left to grieve.

If you plan to party you may want to rethink
If you're drinking don't drive, If you're driving don't drink

STAY SAFE THIS CHRISTMAS
Wanda Peddle
Dec/2023