I saw the remains of the wreckage

before the tracks were even in my line of sight.

A tire-

Bent, broken, separated from the hubcap,
there lays a tire.
lifeless and burnt from the catastrophe.

The airbags-

Now deflated balloons dangling.
dangling on what's left of a steering wheel,
they lingered of the safety they had promised.

Police-

Holding worried bystanders back
telling cars to go around,
uncovering what went wrong,
the tracks now littered with debris.

News anchors-

Reporting live back to the news room,
in disbelief.
Breaking the tragedy to the public

Ambulances-

Lights flashing bright against the smoke,
sirens blaring,
medical personnel scrambling;
everyone waiting for something,
anything to be clear.

Family-

Trying violently to get past police,
Pushing, and shoving
the look of terror and disbelief 
tears running down their face, pooling on the ground
wanting one last chance to say goodbye... 
***
It was one of my mom’s kindergarten students
Him, his mom, and his older brother in their minivan
going up an icy hill at the crack of dawn before school
The tires gave out,
the car slid onto the vibrating tracks below.
Like snapping toothpicks,
broke through the down railroad crossing gates into what seemed like
the end of it all...

yet miraculously
they escaped, only minor injuries,
and a story to tell,
a reason to be thankful-
a reason to cherish everyday
as though you won't have a next,
a reason why with every moment
every breath
every step
has a reason why.