A Lesson In Acceleration

on dark expressway
my two sons with me
in our little car
speeding through the night

another car flies past
sleek and shining
darker than the night
in sodium glare

my eldest son
is so upset
"that car that
just went past -
how come we can't
go that fast?"

"just wait" I say
"just wait"
almost at
the underpass

and there it is:
the speeding
car flies by
and from deep shadow
flashing lights
glare out
the cop car pulls
the speeder over
as we approach

my sons both
turn their heads
to watch
the cop climb out
and step up
to the driver
he is about
 to ticket
as we speed on by

"three hundred
seventy-five bucks"
I tell my boys
they both look at me
"that's how much
the ticket costs
when you speed
that fast
in a construction zone."

Not a word from them.

"and that's why," I add
"you always let someone else
much faster go first."

Another car
flies by
I put my foot down
and with a grin
acellerate
into the night
"let's do it,"
I tell the boys
"let's rock."
"No dad, NO,"
they both reply
"let's not!"