Driving (Poem)

 (Note: Yesterday, I was looking over some old poetry and found this piece. I wrote this poem over a decade ago. I was still a grad student with no real idea of what I wanted to do with life. What strikes me now is that, today, I am one of the two heads stuck inside a shiny SUV talking about diaper brands.)

Driving

Driving along the

silent long road,

two walls of glass

between the back of their

heads

and me.

They’re tucked inside

the new, shiny security

of their blue SUV.

Hands flutter, I wonder.

Their conversation, perhaps on rings,

perhaps on diaper brands,

perhaps simply on chess.

All planned out,

            the map laid out,

sure of the road to take

ahead.

A flashing of yellow.

A turn to the left.

I am alone

driving along

with my rusty Fox.

Going home

to ponder the future.

Tomorrow I have a paper

due.

(2001)