MONTEREY HIGHWAY
My father's eyes
Weary in the rear-view mirror
Giggling sisters
Whispering
Hold your breath
The cemetery is coming up
On our right
Close your mouth
Don't let those spirits in
Stop
Your breath
Just wait
Years later, waiting at traffic lights
Cemetery, flea market, library, auto body shops, trailer parks
Peering in my mirror
My son napping behind me
Mouth wide open
I gasp, breathe in exhaust
I'm pushing the gas pedal
Into this paved vein
Up and down
North and south
Go
Get me out and away
From these ghosts
I waited and waited and waited
I kept driving
By then
My dad was gone
Another soul, broken down
Along Monterey Highway
An empty trailer in a full park
A carpet stain constantly haunting me
I didn't look
I just held my breath
And kept driving
Weary in the rear-view mirror
Giggling sisters
Whispering
Hold your breath
The cemetery is coming up
On our right
Close your mouth
Don't let those spirits in
Stop
Your breath
Just wait
Years later, waiting at traffic lights
Cemetery, flea market, library, auto body shops, trailer parks
Peering in my mirror
My son napping behind me
Mouth wide open
I gasp, breathe in exhaust
I'm pushing the gas pedal
Into this paved vein
Up and down
North and south
Go
Get me out and away
From these ghosts
I waited and waited and waited
I kept driving
By then
My dad was gone
Another soul, broken down
Along Monterey Highway
An empty trailer in a full park
A carpet stain constantly haunting me
I didn't look
I just held my breath
And kept driving
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KAT BUCKLES LUEDKE is a person, woman, stay-at-home mama, nerd, San Jose native, vegan, librarian, aging punk and occasional artist and writer.
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