Road Trip Poem by Toni Atchison

We rode the silver highway,
Mike and me,
chasing after midnight and the moon,
singing along with Jerry and the boys.
We smelled like brown paint, chicken and rice,
and ignored the memories sitting silently in the back seat.
I'm going home to my girl and my cats,
he'll return to an empty house.
Almost strangers on Friday night,
brother and sister by Sunday.
I laughed so hard when that cop pulled us over -
Mike was sweating bullets.
Naughty boy was holding,
and scared the cop would find out.
When it was over,
I laughed even harder.
He tried to be mad,
but ended laughing all the way home.
I was glad to be on the road again,
that leads like a silver ribbon
to my own warm bed.
I know I'll wander again,
but I always find my way home.

12-8-08