I THANK MY FATHER

ADRENALYN PUMPS MY VEIND FULL,
I PUSH THIS CRAFT TO IT'S OUTER LIMITS,
HURLING AROUND THE ASPHALT OVAL,
ONCE IN A WHILE STOPPING BY THE PITTS.

A CAGE OF STEEL SURROUNDS MY BODY,
A STRONG FAITH PROTECTS MY SOUL,
MY MACHINES ENGINE RUNS MIRACULOUSLY SMOOTH,
ALMOST ALWAYS STARTING ON THE POLE.

THE EXHAUST HUMS A DOMINANT NOTE,
THE TRANNY SHIFTS SILKY SMOOTH,
THE HANDLING PERFECTLY DIALED IN,
THE TIRES STICK TO THE TRACK LIKE GLUE.

THIS IS WHAT A PERFECT MOMENT IS LIKE,
WHEN IT SEEMS THAT NOTHING CAN GO WRONG,
AND SOMETIMES THIS IS NOT QUITE WHAT HAPPENS,
YOU DO NOT STAY IN THE RACE TO LONG.
ONCE SMOKE POURED OUT OF MY TAILPIPE,
THE STEERING WHEEL NEXT, HAD A MIND OF IT'S OWN,
AS I SPUN RAPIDLY OUT OF CONTROL,
I CAREENED INTO THE WALL ALONE.

ONE MOMENT I HAD BEEN LEADING THE RACE,
INVINCEABLE, AS I LEAD THE WAY,
THE NEXT MOMENT WRAPPED IN A USELESS HEAP,
IN THE HOSPITAL ON MY DEATHBED I LAY.

NEARLY TWO-HUNDRED MILES PER HOUR,
I SCREAMED AROUND THAT TRACK,
SLAMMING FULL SPEED INTO THAT CONCRETE WALL,
I ALMOST NEVER MADE IT BACK.

THE CAR IS ANCIENT HISTORY,
A RELIC SLEEPING FOREVER IN A SALVAGE YARD,
IT HAD POSTED A WONDERFUL CAREER,
IT'S RECORD HARDLY BLEMISHED, MERELY MARRED.

I DO NOT KNOW IF I WILL EVER RACE AGAIN,
A LITTLE FEARFUL TODAY OF THOSE CARS,
I HAD A BRILLIANT PURSUIT OF MY DREAMS,
FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE, I WAS THE STAR.

TODAY I HAVE SLOWED THE STYLE OF MY LIFE,
TAKEN A LITTLE OFF THAT KAMIKAZE PACE,
LEARNED TO APPRECIATE THE FINER THINGS,
NO LONGER FEEL I MUST WIN THE RACE.

ONE THING THAT SURELY HAS CHANGED,
TODAY I HAVE TREMENDOUS FAITH,
THE DAY THAT I CRASHED THAT CAR,
FOR ONCE I HAD EXPERIENCED, THE DEATHLY TASTE.



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