Home of Free & Lonely Gods

Take Interstate 35 and drive

Until the gas runs out 

Or you get a flat

And leave yourself stranded--

Abandoned on the long 

Dark highways of Texas.

Somewhere near Laredo 

And somewhere in the Astral

In falling stars 

Over the windy desert

That climbs the hills forever.

Emptiness behind 

The wheel of a ‘76 Chevrolet

In a diner parking lot.

The bearded man in the big-rig 

Hides behind his 18 tires

And paper coffee cup--

But I see him altogether and

The lines of his eyes 

Look just like mine.

The cacti and deep forests 

Full of reflections

Told me I should take 

Interstate 35 into the Incomplete

And I did it 

Like a child without question.

Where reality is young 

Still in the cradle sleeping--

Headlights in the distance 

Never closer, never brighter 

In the moments after 

Midnight but before sunrise.

A homeless woman

Asks me for change and 

I give away my last dollar

So the teenagers on the corner 

Can buy my breakfast.

Who are always nicer than 

Anyone thinks--

How the dog at the gas station 

Is loved by everyone 

But goes home to no one.

I’m reminded of the name tag 

I wear like a collar

Just to throw it in the road 

With the trash.

I know that isn’t how 

You escape.

Reviews

[Thomas W Case]

Brilliant work and a fantastic tale.

[Arundass TP]

Interesting poem. Enjoyed reading. Keep it up 👍