County Road Forty-Two

Churning softly, wheels burn on pavement,
Wet like yesterday: he went
too far, too fast.

An exhausted flame,
An acquaintance ripped out, a flash
on evening news, a star in its fifteen minutes,

Casual conversation, we spilled your name
Like we knew you better than we did.
It played out wrong, dropped
Into oblivion, even after you passed on.