Rainy Night Flight Fright

Rainy Night Flight Fright

The freeway, wet, dark & shimmering,

stretches out before me in the rain

twisting & curving thru the countryside

headlight beams of oncoming vehicles

glance off the shiny surface

& blind unsuspecting drivers.

I am cautiously cruising to a gig,

a big break in my poetry career,

a high visibility show in Lowell

that will catapault my work & I

to beloved national poet status;

dollar signs shone green in my eyes.

I was on time, but lagging a bit,

darn thunder storms for weeks

had slowed life down to a crawl,

bridges & roads had been washed out;

if I kept at a steady pace all the way

I'd just make it to the event, early even.

Bright red break lights scream on

as fellow travelers romp down the pedal

due to an oncoming emergency

white/red/white/red blur into one

as a car ahead spins out of control

on my side of the thouroughfare.

I gracefully press down on the pedal

& slow to a crawl in the high speed lane

inches from the trailer in front of me

LED light glares from 12 recessed bulbs

I don my sunglasses & light a cigarette,

I've half a pack & a full tank, I'll make it.

The spinning car slows & comes to a stop

nose on the median & tail across the lane,

the high speed lane & now I'm stopped.

Camel Light embers glows brighter

as I take a poke to relax my nerves;

anxiety's rising, I'll be late for sure now.

Creep, creep, creep along at 5 mph

as cars on the right make way for merging

from the far left lane snaking around the spin-out.

At long last I'm in position to pass

I move past carefully looking at the car,

the bumper stickers seem familiar somehow.

I ease my car around the Blue Taurus

just like mine I think as I pass.

The driver turns to look at me

& thru the blood & sweat on his face

I recognise the driver & I scream,

"Oh MY God That's Me!!!"