Sanctions

It happened 20 years before and
the man who told me, remembered
as an adjunct or preface
to the funeral senior staff were attending.
A fellow, 10 or 11 years retired,
before my time, but emeritus distinguished –
name still spoken with reverence
good at her job and a stickler, but
drank a lot he said,
then, cut the cards and showed the joker,
“ killed a guy one night – drunk driving ”
***&^^*

Realms and rulers
alcohol was king, queen and emperor then
misfortune as a result of, seen as ……. misfortune :
bad luck,
shit happens
especially this one apparently,
impairment’s trifecta – poor visibility and raining
crap timing – almost home.
No shame: no stigma,
“came back to work a couple of days later as if
nothing happened
turning to understanding and sympathy
imagine that today.”