road trip

st louis is to me…

laughter in the back seat of a maroon miracle car

avocado’s & blue chips in transit

two clear voices singing

harmony

changing hotel rooms

again

and again

and

again.

dark rain

stormy winds

crawling into tubes

tunnels

laughter and

tornado warnings

sculptures

over my head

strange and

heavy-set

in lush green grass

a frisbee

union station

a floor marbled with light

my quarter losing the race to

a dime

joy in the present

eating this dinner

to the sounds of a crowd

gathered around

for a show about fudge

that trio of balloons

travelling down the busy street

as though it had every right

of a fully-registered vehicle

the bright clock

and the feel of a storm

as we waited for our ride

the walk to the Arch

straight and wide enough for four

through a tunnel of trees

waving their lacy leaves in flurries

against a dark peach ceiling of sky

and then

the Arch;

taller than i could feel

silver and

terrible

in beauty

in height

in simplicity

running to catch up with

my friends

my heart unsettled

by that infinite touch of hard silver

the walk back

arm in arm

and then

camaraderie

exercising in our

pajama’s

pharaoh & the psalms

a sleeping girl

and

rest.

riding

always riding

and always

the Arch

now forever a part of me,

altering everything

just like

the laughter

of the

girl