Long Distance Runaround

From a flat, straight, and not so crowded roadway
To the high-traffic, bumper-to-bumper headache
Of the most clogged commute,
Impassioned, yet sensitive drivers use
Their sense of purpose and direction
To gauge limited options, extracting movements
From their valued experience and consummate know-how.

Everything from how to avoid a speeding ticket,
To difficult merges and staying clear of accidents and injuries,
A veteran motorist must earn his respect
And the respect of the many hapless, mischievous drones
On the recalcitrant byways.

However, one must learn patience and forgiveness
For these invariant styles and jarring speeds,
As well as the insidious chaos of being manhandled
And cut-off by the belligerent warthogs
Of the not-too-distant lanes.

Because a dam bursting is never a cause for more argument –
It is simply a positive turned into a negative;
A routine privilege and joyous pleasure
Transformed into a devastating mistake,
For whom all must face a brutal, disheartening,
And unruly demise.