On Interstate 5 In A Greyhound Bus

On Interstate 5 In A Greyhound Bus mother pauline boards the big greyhound double decker her freckled son goes before her wearing a cub scout cap hurry up she says as they climb the stairs to the upper deck the bus driver tips his cap and starts the greyhound engine mother pauline tells the little boy they are going to redding she gives him a batman comic book and a box of milk duds nighttime is coming as stout pauline flips on the ceiling lamp euthanizing elevator music seeps from an overhead speaker jodi sands sings ‘kiss by kiss’ as the bus driver grips the wheel the double decker dashes down alameda with taillights on fire flashing by foggy neon cocktail dives drinking in the darkness rushing now on life’s dream highway like an insane eel dancing now rushing at 65 mph they ride on interstate 5’s scarred back freckled boy tiredly yawns and lies upon the soft lap of pauline tired mother peers out the window and sees the fast blur of life she focuses her sight and sees her mountain of love sleeping an hour of fast driving leads to closed eyes and driveling yawns old men snore in the back as erect streetlights pass by unseen mother pauline thinks of husband fred back home being alone she wonders if fred misses her as much as she now misses him wonders if he’s snoring in bed right now as loud as the old men soon she will be in redding to find a house and to scout the town soon the sun will rise when the yuba street bus depot is reached freckled boy continues to sleep and dream in pauline’s soft lap the greyhound speeds up interstate 5 like an insane eel dancing