The Car Has Ears Poem by Charles Eastland

The Car Has Ears

Shhh Shhh…whisper…
that news about extra money -
the car has ears


I tell you truthfully
from experience, the car knows
when money is coming
it may be clairvoyant …Shhh
…don't repeat a word aloud
be prudent in your thoughts as well

if you pass it in the lot

Pssstt…Come over here
I'll tell you something else -
the car is a hypochondriac
if it hears money is coming
it will surely get sick, that's right.
Its carburetor will develop a cough
Sudden-like…and its wheels too
will be wobbly
the choke will choke
its shoes will need new soles
its eyes will get dim or go out
anything!
Money words, mere mentioned
Like, We've got a little extra
Immediately! The Car will shiver
and shake and throw a tantrum
at every red light…and
if you don't give it the money
it will deliberately quit and leave you
embarrassed in the middle of intersections;
and likely, the busiest of all
Really mean car spirits will quit, leave you
In cold sweat on the busy rotary curve!
You either give up the money
or you walk.
It's a bandit!
I'll tell you what's spooky about my car - listen
whatever the amount of the windfall
its service bill will match it almost to the dollar
and right down to the cents… that's right!
Many, many times it's happened like clockwork
I tell you truthfully from experience,
the car has ears!
Don't repeat this to anyone…shhhh don't say it -
be prudent in your thoughts when you pass it in the lot
the car has ears…and now it can speak
and it's talking
about us


CHARLES EASTLAND

from book of same title
'The Car Has Ears—Selected Poems by Charles Eastland'
(Autumn 2016 Kindle eBook)