Sympathy for Truck Drivers

[TranquillityBase]

10 days,
2700 miles,
to Amarillo, Denver, Albuquerque, 
back to San Antonio.
40 hours inside the metal
capsule of my truck cab
hurtling inches above 
a grid of hot asphalt.
80 cigarettes consumed
and uncounted ounces 
of raspberry tea.
6 apples eaten.

Trying to stay awake
while driving alone
is like trying to sleep
with a lobster.
Urination? Don’t ask.
Siri was my co-pilot,
when Siri stopped talking
I panicked, my navigating lover,
come back!  An angry truck
driver tried to spray me with gravel,
that was between two
little Texas towns;
Later I passed him, 
he was pulled over,
beating his tires with an iron bar;
we made eye contact
and if his eyes had been
lasers I’d be ashes.
And I was carrying contraband,
so, no law please.
Pulled up next to a policeman
in San Angelo
and I acted very interested
in the wind turbine blade
passing through the intersection.
And I had on my straw hat
so I felt well disguised.
By the time I got home
I felt like I’d been
in outer space for a week,
a very crowded outer space,
48 hours to recover.

No wonder long haul truckers
have a thousand yard stare.

[Erthona]

Fun story.

"carrying contraband" does make for a long trip, even if it is just across town.

Knew a guy who wrecked his rig claiming the moon was after him. Yeah, you do enough speed the moon will be after you.

dale

[TranquillityBase]

Fun story.

"carrying contraband" does make for a long trip, even if it is just across town. 

dale

Indeed it does.  Had a dogpark buddy briefly who had been a long haul trucker till he got too many tickets.  He had that stare.  He was also a poet, which I didn't discover until shortly before he died unexpectedly.  

Thanks for the read.

[Mark A Becker]

Hey Tim-

Your strong suit seems to be poems that tell ordinary stories. I just wanted to let you know that I read and appreciated this one.

Thanks,
Mark