Seven Seconds

A poem about my first car accident

I realize too late that I have made a mistake.
No remedy for it, from my path I cannot break.
I only have seven seconds left until I meet my fate.

No time to calculate, I have no time to second-guess.
Though time is at a crawl, I can't avoid what happens next.
There are six seconds left until the wheel meets my chest.

Yet another moment passes before I realize.
I have two sisters behind me, with fear bright in their eyes.
I still have five seconds left until I can truly cry.

I look at the other sister beside me, she is fast asleep.
Dreams flutter beneath her eyelids, her peace she won't keep.
I have four seconds left until my fear hits its peak.

The car feels weightless as it glides over the wet road.
I look calmly from left to right but can find nowhere to go.
There are three seconds left before I make the call home.

Seems like years have passed since I slammed on the breaks.
I've recited prayers in my head, and calmed my heart rate.
I have two seconds left to prepare for my fate.

I know what happens now, I know that we will be fine.
I take a deep breath and I close my eyes.
There is only one second left before we collide.

Time is up, the distance has closed.
I open my eyes, and I hope, and I hope. 

Author's Note

I don't know if this is important or not, but the whole ordeal happened in less than seven seconds, but it just seemed like time was moving so slow and it felt like it was much longer.