..
There’s a woman in that beat-up
Volvo with a secret, and she’s carrying it
all the way to the coast in a borrowed suitcase.
The ’87 Honda’s got a warning
light on, but the couple hasn’t noticed;
they’ve got bigger battles.
The blue Toyota in the fast lane
has a trunk full of regret, lament,
and something that smells like bad cheese.
Somebody’s had the good sense to
fill the tank on the SUV so they don’t have
to stop in that podunk town again.
A tiny white moth is hitching a ride,
but the trucker doesn’t mind. He’s got miles
to go, and he can use the company.
There’s a pair of twins in the back seat
of the Altima striking a snack deal with Mom
in a language only she understands.
The guy in the white van has a picture
on his rearview mirror to remind him
where he’s been, and how not to go back.
They’ve all got places to go, and be,
but right now they’re just sitting on the 95,
backlit by that tangerine lollipop sun.
..
Day 14 of the Poetic Asides April PAD Challenge. This is the one with all the prompts.
Whimsygizmo's Blog 
I love a lot of stories. This was so good, I didn’t mind the jam ahead and all the traffic lights.
I love this!!! I especially like the first and sixth stanzas, plus “lollipop” and “tangerine” together.
Fantastic stories of people on the highway of life. Very cool.
For years i had a blue Toyota. It ran an unbelievably long time.
Who needs and audible book when there are so many stories to survey on the road around you?
Love this to bits and back!!
read this again, it just gets better. “a language only she understands” fascinates me, and the tangerine lolipop sun is such a delightful image and a perfect ending.
Thanks so much, Eric. It was a fun one to write. I hate to drive, but am always, ever fascinated by the many many people all going in the same direction, if only for a little while.
Thank you all so much for your kind comments. 😉
“striking a snack deal with Mom
in a language only she understands” Oh yeah!!!
“trunk full of regret, lament,” was that there before and I missed it? So good.