[ " Auto Wreck is a poem that concentrates on a 'live' car accident and brings the reader directly into contact with the consequences of such a violent, horrific scenario. It is a commentary on a modern phenomena, that of the highway smash, but goes beyond the world of traffic and tarmac to explore the human mindset when normality is no more. Think disaster, think war, think pandemic. Full of vivid imagery, it also asks important questions about the nature of human fragility, and how we react to such sudden death. Four powerful stanzas, some stunning individual lines and much food for thought. Karl Shapiro was no stranger to the negative effects technology can have on humans. He served in the second world war and wrote war poems which reflected his experiences of trauma and violence. " ]