so glossy, so white
so flagrantly expensive
I feel its weight and sense its power
— after work
I swap my corporate suit
for
cotton jeans and an XL hoody
I slip off the pumps
and slip on
sensuous, bare feet
I trade in my keyboard
for
pistachio nuts and chilled Chardonnay
I close down the spreadsheet
and open up
a big, fat newspaper
I push aside the ergonomic chair
and sink in
to my overstuffed second-hand couch
sweetest of all
I rip off my goddamn bra
and
exhale, free at last
— after work
discordant sounds on the east side
disenchanted folk on the downslide
a thin lady stops to examine the street
is she in, is she out, is she part of the scene
darkness is coming; she wonders what to do
taxis are screeching, she stays aside a few
in the park, on their turf, sipping red wine tonight
in the park, toking up just to jazz up the night
The thin lady hears the ping from her phone
a text from her momma, she ain’t so alone
the thin lady grabs a ten o-clock bus
now there ain't no choice, there ain't no fuss
Back home, she tucks in her momma and babe
then she’s restless, she’s anxious, too wired to stay
she looks out the window; there's nothin' to do
she stubs out a smoke and lights one anew
discordant sounds on the east side
disenchanted folk on the downslide.
old red Volvo
living someone’s dream
a hundred thousand miles
breaking trails
with a friend
sharing sunsets
through the hills
old red Volvo
seeking philosophies
travelling the backroads
quest of truth
with a friend
stranger of life
telling tales
old humpback Volvo
haggard and weary
vagabond days eternal
aimless machine
faded friend
sharing trips
sharing dreams
This was the first poem I ever wrote. I wrote it to my Dad when I was thirteen or so, and gave it to him for Christmas. This was over fifty years ago. My Mom found it a few years back and gave it to me. My Dad had quite a special bond with this old car, and I tried to capture that bond in this very, old poem.