Run Boy Run

Unfortunately for him, I remember it all.

The day I left my phone against the pub wall.

The day he threw me over his shoulder

And carried me back behind the counter.

Through the walls in which resided his house.

“Don’t drive stupid”, his parents did rouse.

“Just drive to the troughs where the water does flow,

and continue that line for 10km or so.”

I was placed in a tin, fear, and caution to proceed.

On a road with red dirt and no limitations of speed.

Can-am Defender, powerful and tough.

Can’t control the crazy, but can manage the rough

He drove on the left, I was on his right,

True country man, eyes brilliantly bright.

The sound of a plastic fluttering kite,

Golden Hair wild in flight.

The October warm sun, red dust-stained skin,

alive for a moment, until I felt that buggy spin.

The wheels lost control, in my seat I did shift.

Reaching for my seatbelt as the tin went a-drift.

The buggy lost control, no time for fear,

Crunching metal, the sound I can’t unhear.

As his side of the tin hit the ground at full force,

I had no time to process, the roll was still on course.

Did role once more as my face hit metal with impact,

Finally, rolling ceased, but slow was I to react.

All I could see were images in red,

Blinking, red lights, infrared.

At first, I thought it was dust.

Then logic kicked in, must be rust.

I looked at my hands and red they were too.

In shock, I touched my head, a stupid thing to do.

Confused and concussed. Was I blind or was I dead?

In a ball I lay staring at the red roof, endless red.

How am I on the left? Confused, I did frown.

The seats we did not swap, the tin was upside down.

He pulled me out,

And boy did I shout.

I stood up immediately and tried to roll it in bulk

He tried to stop me, as I yelled “I’M HULK”

He sat me down and wrapped his white shirt around my face.

“No love, you’re human, you need a neck brace.”

I tried to follow him, he told me to stay.

He ran back to the station, 6km away.

He left me, left me to decay.

I can tell you now, I felt alone and afraid.

The sun was setting, the pains, intense.

I went cold, heard howls in the distance.

I screamed out for help, but no one could hear me.

Alone in the wilderness, Outback Australian Country.

The dizziness got worse, my eyes I did close

I kept awake, counting the cries of dingoes.

He finally came back with two cars and a crane,

The drive back was painful, as I rode in the tray.

By the time help arrived, boy did he have a spiel.

Apparently, we crashed because I took the wheel?

I was flown off that property in the middle of Queensland,

I’ve since moved and replaced red dirt with white sand.

Unfortunately for him, I remember it all.

The day I left my phone against the pub wall.

A fun afterwork adventure, and how that buggy disempowered

A once before country man, now a skittish coward.

I will never forget that red-outback-sun

and how that “fun” water-run,

Made a-runaway-boy, run.