Car Wreck On The Old Coast Road Poem by Michael Philips

The most humorous
Car wreck I witnessed
Was on the old coast road.
I had returned to my cabana at dusk
After observing a hilarious shark attack
From the bluff above the beach.
The clouds were a smooch of pink.

I'd just sat down with my book,
Canterbury Tales, which
I was reading for the fourth time.
What an underrated book, I remember thinking.
Yes, I know it’s famous, but
You don’t usually find it on
Anyone’s top ten.
Not even top twenty.
You probably read it back in your
Treasure Island years.
If you read it again, I’m sure you’ll
Discover new insights swooshing off the page
Like little geysers.
Savoring the rich language that careens towards you with
Bright headlights while you’re crossing the Old Coast Road,
I’m sure you’ll move it up a few notches,
Maybe even into your twenty.