A STRANGE NIGHT

 a strange night

I’m out on the road again,

headed east on the highway.

driving for hours,

through the hot summer night

driving through the trees,

my flannel shirt is off,

and my short, thin black hair hangs

over my shoulders.

I’ve got grunge blaring on my car’s

stereo system.

I land somewhere,

at some gas station in one of those

small towns where everyone dedicates their

entire lives

to getting out,

until

they realize

that they can’t.

I pull up to the pump,

pull my shirt back over my shoulders.

a group of shady, drunk men and a girl

are sitting to the right of the entrance.

when I go in, a man

who must know

nothing but old age

walks out and

flicks his

half-smoked cigarette

on the ground.

the middle-aged woman sweeping

behind the register

stops when I come in,

and stares at me like

I’m a tiger.

I don’t know what the hell I want.

I look through everything,

I eye the cigarettes behind the counter,

the beer in the cooler,

the small wine display,

the candy,

and as I do so,

someone else eyes me.

it’s the girl from outside.

she’s around the corner on the candy aisle

watching my hair sway back and forth

as I turn left and right.

I ultimately decide against

buying anything,

and just as I decide this,

the girl takes two small steps

towards me

and falls into the corner

of my eye,

but I’m already leaving,

and in the corner of my mind

is where she remains

to this day.

and as I get in my car,

the men sitting near the entrance

hoot and holler at me,

so I drive away