Speed of Taking Life
You can die during your mother’s labor or choking on a coin at age five
You can grow up in the wrong neighborhood and get shot in a drive by
Party to vehicular manslaughter or kick the chair out from under you in suicide
No matter what way you go, if you don’t perish in old age
You’ve cheated the speed of life, been dealt a shortcut of sorts and died
130 meters per second, 290 miles per hour
These are the speeds of a tornado whirling towards a city to devour
320 meters per second, 720 miles per hour
These are the speeds of a .22 bullet fired off by a problematic pitiless coward
200 miles per hour, 90 meters per second
These are the speeds of a train off track with no ambition but killing and wrecking
975 meters per second, 2,180 miles per hour
These are the speeds of a soldier’s M16 rifle delivering its enemies a deadly shower
17,400 miles per hour, 7,777 meters per second
These are the speeds of a detonating cord as the explosion’s advent is ticking
30 meters per second, 70 miles per hour
These are the speeds of a car colliding into a drunk driver with greater horsepower
230 miles per hour, 103 meters per second
These are the speeds of a Shkval torpedo before leaving a navy ship vacant
250 meters per second, 560 miles per hour
These are the speeds of a plane in the air approaching the twin towers
Looking at the facts, it becomes obvious, deadly speed isn’t just an expression
Life can be taken as easily as it’s given by a speed not taught in your physics lesson
Fire arms, natural disasters, vehicle accidents, each has its own speed of taking life
With this revelation, you can only live for the moment
And hope you don’t prematurely meet fatal strife
