The Car Show - Both Audio and Text

We always spent the day before a show in preparation, There always seemed so much to do to get the car in shape, But all the work was worth it, (or at least we thought it was), We’ve always felt that car shows were a welcome “great escape”. Connie waxed the painted parts while I would clean the bumpers. She scrubbed the whitewall tires and then the hubcaps one by one. The inside got the same attention, and beneath the hood, And everything looked just like new when we were finally done! In our middle fifties, we were usually pretty tired And sore from head to toe when all the prep work was complete, But we remained excited at the prospect of the weekend, And knew the hours of cleaning were important to compete. Making sure the car was sound and ready for a “trip”, I’d checked the oil and filled the tank and tires the day before. We were more than careful when it came to checking things… You never know with older cars what problems lie in store. The car had been restored like new and, though we weren’t that worried, Our trunk was filled with everything from tools to hats to chairs. Cars like ours have special things, like odd-ball bulbs and fuses, And many parts are hard to find, and so, we carried spares. A trip as long as this demanded extra time and thought, And when, at last, we’d finished with the list and gone to bed, I would always lie there for at least a couple hours With pesky “what have I forgot” concerns inside my head. Up at dawn to hit the road, the show was far away, We had to skip the showers, and the breakfast was a Coke, But scrambling through the old routine we somehow were on schedule, And off we drove in what, for seven years, had kept us broke! Of course we used the interstate, for making better time, And, with the summer roadwork, we’d allowed for some delays. We’d even taken Friday off to have the time we needed, The thirteen hundred mile trip would take us two long days. By close to midnight, Saturday, we stopped to grab a room, The town was less then fifty miles away, and we were beat. We’d rarely stopped, and hardly eaten anything at all, But tried our very best to focus on…tomorrow’s “treat”! I don’t think I slept for more than fifteen minutes straight Anticipating whom we’d meet, and what we were to see. And, once again, we got up early, piled into the car, chugged a Coke, and headed out for where we had to be. When we saw the “Fairgrounds” sign, we both became excited, We glanced at one another and exchanged a little smile, Then once again rehearsed the plans for setting up and cleaning, And both our hearts were pounding as we drove the final mile. When we fell in line to what we thought was “Registration”, We glanced around and noticed only modern cars ahead! Then Connie spotted, on the booth, the sign that would explain this - “PUBLIC PARKING, ENTER HERE” - is how the banner read! Just a bit embarrassed, we could see we needed someone Working with the car show to point out the proper gate For paying for the entry fee and signing forms to enter To join the biggest group of classic autos in the state! After running halfway ‘round the Fairground’s lengthy border We found another entry marked, “EXHIBITORS”, [at last]. Now the time for registering was quickly running out And we were getting nervous…so we started moving fast. Surprisingly, the line was pretty short, letting us discover there was not a “Street Rod”, or a “Lead Sled” on the lot! In fact…not a single “classic car” anywhere in sight, We actually were the only ones within the line we got! Just before the deadline to be entered in the show, We made it to the window at the ticket booth to pay. I handed her a twenty, and I asked which way to go, Then me and Connie almost died when she leaned out to say, “Everyone connected with the Flower Show, goes left! The fellas with the flags are there to help you find your way. My, that’s sure a fancy car! You’re quite a way from home! I’ll bet you had it entered in that car show.....yesterday! PS: I've now got 4 new Audio-CDs - @ 4 1/2 hours each = (62 diversely varied pieces). They’re listed on EBAY - under - “Mark Stellinga Poetry” - or available by simply contacting me at -- mark@writerofbooks.com -- should those of you who enjoy listening to poems as well as reading them - and particularly those of you that travel - care to be so entertained. (We use safe and simple - PayPal) Cheers, Mark