20 November 2009

Ballad of the Reluctant Road Warrior

Turning to the door, eyes barely open
Stepping to the nacreous chill
Of a thrice ordinary Thursday
Slowly sagging in the drizzle

He would curse if he could
But a cage match with computer
And the phones, and another
Goddamn fritzy pen

Has robbed him of the energy…

A slow walk, in a sad rain
Is the refrain in his head
Courtesy of another man in black
That wears it, not thinks it

Not a zombie, exactly, bluish fingers
Fumbling with chill metal of keys
To pour into a seat shaped too much
Like his ass, which he thinks

Has been kicked too much…

Starting the car, a giant’s wind-up toy
He grins crookedly and thinks that
While he would likely not buy a Jaguar
He sure would accept if it was offered

Shiny metal box on the asphalt river
Where it always seems to be against the current
Demented, dazed salmon frantic for a lunatic sea
Hoping not to crash, mangled, exhausted

Until the arrival home…

Guardrails gleam, the oily hides of metallic
Serpents acting as guides in the syrupy mist
Mist he cannot discern from the fog in his head
Broken by the diabolical ruby glow of taillights

Taillights, unbroken smear of petrochemical blood…

Million curses, the swear jar full to bursting
Upon reaching home, coasting to a stop
To exit the belly of the beast, watering eyes
And fevered mind desperate for relief

Wondering, how many eons this will last.

10 comments:

  1. My commute is 3 blocks, thank goodness.
    Also, I would be exceedingly happy if someone were to gift me a Jaguar (though I would never buy one). Always been my favorite. :-)

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  2. Also, apparently you like to write, Gumby.

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  3. I hate Thursdays, they have always been my worst day. But one thing is that my Thursdays are never ordinary, and certainly not thrice ordinary, my Thursdays are generally hellish. But hey, you want my Jag? It's not being used at the moment...

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  4. A Jag? Hmmm ... for me it's a Porsche. When I was in college my boss used to let me zip around town in his Porsche to run work-related errands. I've never quite gotten over it.

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  5. You should try leaving my house during rush hour, and only one major road to take you there...where ever you might think you need to be at that hour...my fight must be at a low today...hmmm

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  6. wow. love the imagery in this one...

    and i will gladly give out my address to anyone wanting to send a Jaguar...lol.

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  7. Thank goodness for my easy commute that takes between 7 and 12 minutes, depending on the traffic lights and how late I'm leaving the house.

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  8. It depressed me but that's a good thing because it did what it was supposed to do!

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"Let your laws come undone
Don't suffer your crimes
Let the love in your heart take control..."


-'The Hair Song', by Black Mountain

Tell me what is in your heart...