Mechanical

I suppose at first it was like driving a car where the mechanic had put the nuts of one wheel on without tightening them.
You know the feeling, something’s wrong, but you can’t really tell what.
There seems to be a wobble in the steering,
But when you pay close attention, the wheel has straightened itself out,
And you hardly notice the vibration.

It must be just your imagination.

Eventually though, you’re sure something is wrong.
You mention it to the passengers in the car,
But they don’t seem to notice the problem.
You start to get more concerned, to insist
“Something’s not right here.”
But they just say, “Ah, you’re new to driving.
Relax, it’s nothing!”
You’re new behind the wheel. You trust those veteran drivers.

But now everyone is nervous.

The wheel is shaking madly, and hitting the brakes only makes it worse.
The vehicle is hurtling down the road, and the accelerator seems stuck.
You’re barreling towards the train tracks,
The safety arm starts to drop
And you know,
Everyone knows,
That you’re either going to go into the ditch on the left,
hit the train straight ahead,
or flip when you lose the wheel as you make a sharp right turn
to try and save your life.
And as the car’s occupants realize that they’re about to die a pointless and senseless death
They scream.
When a chorus of reasonable concern would have avoided all this fuss.

And the mechanic twists our nuts.