safe
it is not safe
to drive around at night with the windows down and the sunroof open and examine the stars above an empty patch of road. but it is frightening and real how the trees intrude on the sides, the grey trees like unedited video slice across the sides and obscure the constellations. the telephone lines cross the road in a slanted line.
it is not safe
to aim at a lightpole at the end of the street and cut all the lights in the car off so you become invisible, a wraith, just a noise on the road. engine noise, tire noise, nothing from the stereo, no dash lights to glare, no parking lights for to be seen, no headlights for to see.
it is not safe
to close your eyes and count to five while driving down an eight-lane road between towns. to close your eyes and try to time when you will pass the street sign. to see how long you can play chicken with the rest of the world. it isn't safe, but i didnt do that tonight.
i have said it before and i will say it again. the city is beautiful at night. i feel blessed to be there, blessed to be able to drive its quieting streets. other cars feel like comrades, there is less of a normalcy about it. we arent all just out there because it is part of our daily routine. for some, it may be but for me it isnt. the lights from the buildings and the town decorations glow on the trees that line the roadside. the long, straight, hilly city street. as i came around from the north side of town, i ducked in and drove around my old high school. it was asleep. it hasn't changed. i am reminded that all will continue there as if i had never graduated, never left. people will fill shoes left to fill and new children will discover it just like i did four years ago. i drove around the teachers parking lot and figured on what i would say if someone stopped me to see what i was up to. some lights were on in the hallways but it must have been the janitors or some security. nobody would really be doing anything there at 9:01 on a friday night. i wanted to stop by starbucks to see if they were still open but i didnt have a reason to. nobody called back. so i drive the streets, music low, watching the people that walk slow and the cops that drive fast.
to drive around at night with the windows down and the sunroof open and examine the stars above an empty patch of road. but it is frightening and real how the trees intrude on the sides, the grey trees like unedited video slice across the sides and obscure the constellations. the telephone lines cross the road in a slanted line.
it is not safe
to aim at a lightpole at the end of the street and cut all the lights in the car off so you become invisible, a wraith, just a noise on the road. engine noise, tire noise, nothing from the stereo, no dash lights to glare, no parking lights for to be seen, no headlights for to see.
it is not safe
to close your eyes and count to five while driving down an eight-lane road between towns. to close your eyes and try to time when you will pass the street sign. to see how long you can play chicken with the rest of the world. it isn't safe, but i didnt do that tonight.
i have said it before and i will say it again. the city is beautiful at night. i feel blessed to be there, blessed to be able to drive its quieting streets. other cars feel like comrades, there is less of a normalcy about it. we arent all just out there because it is part of our daily routine. for some, it may be but for me it isnt. the lights from the buildings and the town decorations glow on the trees that line the roadside. the long, straight, hilly city street. as i came around from the north side of town, i ducked in and drove around my old high school. it was asleep. it hasn't changed. i am reminded that all will continue there as if i had never graduated, never left. people will fill shoes left to fill and new children will discover it just like i did four years ago. i drove around the teachers parking lot and figured on what i would say if someone stopped me to see what i was up to. some lights were on in the hallways but it must have been the janitors or some security. nobody would really be doing anything there at 9:01 on a friday night. i wanted to stop by starbucks to see if they were still open but i didnt have a reason to. nobody called back. so i drive the streets, music low, watching the people that walk slow and the cops that drive fast.
posted by sunshine at 11:04 PM
1 Comments:
and i would have loved for you to have been there. you would have been a good excuse to stop by city market and check out the live music crammed up in there...
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