Another hard day of grinding, the type Johnny and Paulie sang about,
Tired as a dog, just want to sleep like a log, but first gotta hit the road,
No mood for bullshit, just want to get by with no hassles,
‘Not today, Bud’, the universe had other ideas,
Fifteen minutes from home, fair bit of traffic, crossed that double-lane roundabout,
Some dude from the outer lane, don’t remember the make and model of his vehicle, just that it was a silver colour,
Slams into my passenger door, trying to turn right from the outside,
No way that’s happening without causing an accident,
Aimed to go home without incident, now additional chores need attending, to top it off my ride’s dented, got me mad as hell and fuming,
Pulled over to the side, ready to spew fire and brimstone,
Fists ready if need be, he’s about to cop it tenfold,
Stomped over to him as he exits his vehicle, came out with his hands up, these are the first words from out his mouth;
“I’m sorry, it was my fault, I’ll give you my details then call the cops,”
Just like that, all thoughts of vitriol and ass-whuppings extinguished, took down his details before asking if he’s injured,
Cops showed up, asked for both sides of the story, made notes of what’s necessary before dismissing us in a hurry,
The other player and me, shook hands and wished each other well, off he drove unaware that earlier yours truly thought of giving him hell,
Kind of amazing, the power of calmness and a few kind words,
Never thought it’d work, use it before resorting to violence, it’d make for a far better world,
Next time you get on the wrong foot, try to kill ‘em with kindness, let’s see what happens,
But if the desired effect ain’t happening, by all means, get ready to throw down like nobody’s business, you have a right to defend yourself if they swing first, just don’t go overboard with it.