ninety degrees, heading into the sun,
hour three of a dogged day’s drive.
my sweat gives in to my need for
some cool caffeine, even if it means
stopping at the food devil’s door.
i stand in line behind their typical customer:
400 pounds, greasy white hair,
pack of Marlboros tucked into its home
in his back pocket, he orders his
super-sized meal and waddles around
while the too-thin cashier rings it up.
i catch a glimpse (all it takes)
of his 4X gray T-shirt that
bubbles over his belly
like an ashy house dress.
“Fit for Life: Jesus Christ’s Gym.”
when i discover the latte machine is broken,
the irony leads me across the street where
i put $2.46 down on the gas station counter
for a canned Starbucks, the Indian brothers
taking my money, their heavy accents reminding me
of home, home, home.
Step Write Up 
Well, well, well, who is this that makes my heart aflutter all over again?
That cute lil girl i met in Beloit a long time ago is now all grown-up, a married mother of 3, a school teacher, and never stopped loving to write?!
“I am exceedingly proud of you” does not even begin to express how good it feels to see you flourish, Karen!
You should be able to guess who I am, but forgive me for not disclosing upfront, nor giving proper contact. Maybe I’ll read a mystical poem in response? Those “creative writing” classes were not in vain, eh?!
I am fine and dandy – dandier than when you knew me.
PS: I agree, bp execs should be stuffed into that oil leak! 🙂
I know who you are… no one I know would use words like “exceedingly” and “flourish.” Only a “Brit” would do that. 🙂
i’m glad you know. but let me indulge my stranger role for a while until i’m satiated, and then i’ll unveil the porous mask, k?
i was tired last night from painting our living/dining room, neglecting the 3rd phone call from my wife to come to bed, then out of nowhere i got a email from that “middle-of-nowhere” place (remember you gave it that name?) asking me to consider coming to reunion.
as i began to reminisce, old friends and pals began to pop in my head, and boy did my search for you end all my searching! several google links, so i was reading up as fast as i could!
so keep writing, and i’ll keep enjoying them (it’s public domain, right?;), and i’ll be ordering your book from either b&n or amazon or lulu before long.
cool running!
oops… here comes the phone call again – time to go to bed! toodles!
cheers.
(to bruce and the beautiful girls, too).
As always, I am fully exposed. No secrets here. What have you been up to for 13 years? Married, I see. Kids? Where are you living? Tell me more!
i’ll send you email in time, ok.
check your e-mail.