Accident-Prone

You cannot help but wonder
why any thinking person
would place themselves in
harm's way like the fellow
who chose not to use his
van's driver's side seat belt
driving that iced-up highway
one winter day. That's the day
he was thrown clear of the
vehicle in a multi-car pile-up
landing him right next to his van
in a morbidly parlous condition
which didn't stop him from
reaching across his overturned
vehicle to turn off the ignition
before falling into a coma.
He recovered from the physical
trauma but will never himself
be in shape to run again, as
the engine in that van did after
the crash. Fifteen years on
walking with cane in one hand
leash for his muscled Doberman
in the other, he ambulates carefully.
Not too carefully since he also
thoughtfully winds the leash
tightly around his left hand and
when the dog suddenly lunged
into an unexpected lurch toward
another dog, breaking the fingers
of his hand. But fingers heal and
his did, and he once again walks
confidently with his faithful dog
body learning to untwist from
that question-mark shape he'd worn
for so long now, his right-hand
tight-fisted, fingers still clenched
firmly around that dog's leash.