Wednesday, July 15, 2020

highway one blues


i wore out the bottom
of my sneakers more than once
before coral rock got into my veins
it's free but you'll still have to pay a price
'cause the sunrise will fool you
into thinking you've reached
the end of the ocean
when in fact maybe you've only reached
the end of time

there's a section of side road
on big pine key that turns to hard rock
can rattle a bicycle frame & your bones
you stop when you've reached the water
the gulf side gets buggy
even in the middle of the afternoon
mangrove has long arms
reaches out
& grabs you like a primeval forest

the bridge to no-name key
can be windy
the pelicans ride it out
between dives
a wing is freedom

you're not sure how
you relate to this world
there's always the road
and the iguanas
but please don't call them invaders

turkey vultures gather
for a morning ritual
the dead have nowhere else to go
back on the highway
the sun at high noon
burns through your hat

--- e b bortz

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