On the Road (Without Cassidy, Kerouac & LuAnne Henderson)

ON THE ROAD (WITHOUT CASSADY,
KEROUAC & LUANNE HENDERSON)

I sit between my parents; I’m
seven, maybe eight years old.
The green glow of the dashboard
gauges in my father’s 1946 Nash
gaze back at me as I listen to him
speak of things that elicit further
visions in my fertile imagination.
His voice and his stories are magic,
giving me a sense of security I
cannot explain to myself, so I
ask more questions, compelling
him to talk on in our winter night
        travel toward home.

My mother is quiet, keeping her
thoughts to herself as she holds
my younger brother in her lap.
Because it is cold in the back seat
where the car’s heater cannot
penetrate, we are privileged to
sit up front in these pre-seatbelt
days when highway safety is a
matter of keeping the car
            on the road.

Sitting low in the seat I cannot see
our headlights reach out toward
the road ahead. Yet, cold blackness
outside our windows does not
frighten me as I keep my eyes on
the glow of those mystical gauges.
The sound of my father’s voice
and the comfort of the heater pull
me inside a gentle blanket of love
as we speed on toward the writing
            of this poem.

Reviews

[Kay Salisu Titilola]

What a beautiful poetic story.
Having father telling you stories is great and having a curious mind that ask questions is amazing. It makes you both have moments of exploration together. The more you ask questions the more you know and the more your father answers you, the more he understands better.

I really like the ending, it was amazing.

Great job, Kentuck.

[kentuck14]

Kay,
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you likes the ending . . . wasn't sure at first if it worked.
T

[John the Baptist]

This splendid vignette of the past illustrates nicely the world view of the child, who is enthralled by the warmth of the intact family within the car, which symbolizes safety, even without seatbelts. The "cold blackness" outside, which may be a death symbol, is not frightening, because the child cannot see the future, symbolized by the headlights. We are comforted by the last lines, an indication this pleasant, fleeting reality will always be connected to the speaker's life.

Tom, I hope you realize by admitting you recall Nash cars qualifies you as an "older gentleman," which is the politically correct way of saying "geezer."

[kentuck14]

John,
Thanks for a very insightful review. Appreciate you seeing the symbols and metaphors. Yes . . . I am an
"older gentleman." Geezerhood is just around the corner.
All the best,
T