In Belarus

The drivers

On the main highways

And byways

All have different

Ways to communicate

With complete strangers

Oncoming traffic

Signal each other by

Flashing their lights

Warning of a police car behind

Time to slow down

On a two way road

With one lane each

Cars always pass

Only if its safe

They always use their signals

If they want to tell

The driver behind them

That they are approaching

A town or if they are slow

They turn on their hazards briefly

Vehicle sign language

Is a whole new

Communication on these

Smaller roads populating

Most of the country

People even use

Emergency lanes

To drive slower

Letting others pass

Even though they do not

Know one another

It's like an unspoken code

That one who pays attention

Can understand

And somehow with all of this

In the 3.5 weeks, I've been here

I've only seen 2 actual car accidents

One must ask

Why is it different here?

Well perhaps because

People not only respect

The road but more

Importantly each other

Courtesy above speed

Helping each other

Not just oneself

Crosswalks are mandatory

Stops for all cars

If there are people walking

It's a different world here

And one wherein some instances

I wish was a worldwide trend

Starting with the simplest here

Belarus has a lot to teach the world