You and I under
a vast, endless sky
pulling up roots
wondering why
ghosts on the highway
lured us into a ditch
but rewarded with sunrise
a scratch on the itch
one left a marriage
the other a doubt

all it took was a car

and unreachable far
we gassed her up and
headed out
foot on the pedal
hands gripping the wheel
map of the mess
of what questions reveal
the dessert
the mountains
the earthly fuss
lay like the weight
of conventional dross
the unwanted graves
we’d had it all
decided it was
time to rephrase
to recall
with white crosses
and bourbon as
sinners who crave
the rejection of innocence

lighting fires for the saved

we’d prove our relevance

with unbridled desire
and stumble at that
while we tripped on the wire
no matter
no matter
our clumsy thrusts
a cross country escape
became us
became us

For Mary Neal