The Long Drive Home

Such a long drive home
In that blackened night
Darker than a loveless heart
Headlights dissipate to nothing
And follow the broken yellow line
To nowhere
Silence is the invitation
The open window
For that desolate wanderer

It lurks just beyond the black
Waiting stealthily
That invisible vagabond
Creeps from behind
Its hungry grin reveals murderous fangs
That fill the rearview mirror

The radio undoubtedly
Echoes along the valley
The specter flees the music
Though skulks about
Neither frightened nor deterred
The vengeful hitchhiker only delayed
I know the words and sing along
Try as I might
They are hollow and brittle
My malevolent companion delights

Sometimes, I pass in peace
Its appetite momentarily satiated
But never for long
Inevitably, the engine will stop
When the ignition turns off
Those gnarled teeth
Will devour my brain
Tearing into soft flesh
Of that evening's warmth
Gnashing at laughter
And slurping memories

I'm powerless against the feast
Or cursed, I believe
As the sun is sure to rise
That vagrant demon will depart
Its return, a certainty
Regardless how fast
I travel that midnight road
Sometimes, it is a too long
Too lonely
Drive home

Reviews

[Margie F]

STEEEEEPHEN!! You are dark and scary! I get that kind of feeling like I need to hold on to someone next to me to protect me, or the ultimate shield...the blanket over the face. So much more to read. Can my heart handle it? Please tell him not to eat me.