DAMN KID

this time she left her lights on.
sometimes she loses her purse,
or has other remarkable tragedies.
she's twenty-eight years old, by god.
she's supposed to answer her cell phone.
i visualize myself with jumper cables,
leaning over a car engine,
in the pouring rain.
i am pissed off.
there is grease on my hands.
then theres the damed, new-fangled battery covers.
you have to wrench a bunch of bolts
to expose the battery terminals.
shit.
i need this on a late saturday afternoon,
like another hole in my head.
i might have to get my buddies jumper cables,
to make sure i have enough length.
i will attach them to mine, yeah.
i'm lucky, that i'm parked next to her.
she and my wife are at a baby shower.
i keep looking out the window.
i want to inform my daughter,
to turn the cars lights off,
before she tries to turn it over.
ah!...there she is!
i run across the street...legs hurting.
i'm sucking hot, humid air.
she's ignoring my pleas!
luckily, her car turns over.
now, i'm waving my arms at her.
i'm screaming, "don't shut it off"!!!
she shuts it off anyway.
she tells me to quit yelling at her,
in front of the neighbors.
ignoring me now, she runs into the bathroom,
and slams the door.
this reminds me of her teen years.
i scream at her.
"this has been your problem, all your life!"
"you have no respect for me"...
"you never take my advise"...
"now you can suffer the consequences!"
"you can call for a tow-truck,
if the god-damned car doesn't start!"

the car starts.
it did it just to prove me wrong.
i feel like an asshole, now.
i storm into the living room.
she leaves without saying, "goodbye".
i turn on the tv.
the white sox beat the cubs.
i feel better now.
my wife is ignoring me.
damn kid.