Best Chevrolet Poems
Inspired by the song "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam
You had just gotten your first car, a 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air,
We were only seventeen years old and neither had a care,
You came over after school and asked me to go for a drive,
We longed for freedom of the road, we never felt so alive.
Always the gentleman, as you opened the powder blue door,
But, after tonight you would be doing this for me no more,
I remember how the moonlight shined off of the chrome,
When you picked me up and I would never return home.
I cannot ever stop thinking about and replaying our past,
I still remember your soft kiss, and it would be our last,
Because, this tender embrace would never happen again,
There was no way that either of us could've known it then.
The impact was so sudden that I felt almost no pain,
As the car swerved out of control into the other lane,
It all happened so fast, there was no time to scream,
Now my existence is a nightmare, just some bad dream.
My body grew cold fast, but I could still feel the heat,
Of the warm blood dripping down onto the leather seat,
I lay there silently, nearly lifeless, held against your shoulder,
It was then I realized that I would not be growing older.
The radio faded away as I closed my eyes for the last time,
What happened to me was an accident, and not a crime,
I will wait for you on this spot, by the very same tree,
Where most people don't notice, but some of them see.
It's an anniversary, it will be 58 years around midnight,
The misting rain and lingering fog will keep me from sight,
As the headlights go flying by, shining from modern cars,
I'm hoping one of them will be you to take me to the stars.
When I do leave this world, side by side we will stand,
And this bad dream will finally be over as you take my hand,
I am waiting to go to heaven, only you can bring me there,
In your brand new, powder blue 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air.
If only I had been a teen in the Fifties
I'm sure I would have had "Happy Days",
Like Fonzie I would have donned a leather jacket
And young babes would have lavished me with praise
Like James Dean I would have that swagger
There'd be a cigarette hanging from my lips
I'd have the right moves on the dance floor
They would say "Check out those Elvis Hips!"
You would see me riding down main street
On my Harley with a babe on the back
Making our way to A&W
The best burger before a Mac attack
Once done eating we'd go to the Drive in
If dad would lend me his new Chevrolet
The back seat would be way more comfortable
Then a roll in the barn in the hay!
With fogged windows we wouldn't see the Movie
We'd still hear Humphry Bogart and Becall
Passionately rounding all love's bases
Not concearned about the movie at all!
So now I am living in my fifties
I'm Fifty three years old to be exact
The back seats have gotten much smaller
And I am way to uncool to attract!
For Kelly Deschler's Decade Contest.
White stars, red and white stripes.
Blue for loyalty.
Waving in the wind, instilling pride.
Reminding us of pledge.
Apple pie, Chevrolet, John Wayne.
Viet Nam, Gulf War,
Freedom of speech, freedom riders,
Free to think, free to be the best we can be.
Texas, California, Iowa, from sea to shining me.
State pride, rawhide, courageous side.
A cultural mix unheard of before the Pilgrims landed, and the Natives
Took pity and helped them live.
Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Germans, French, Italians, Scots, Swedes, African Americans.
All Americans, all united in that.
911 Hero pride.
Sacrifices. Pride to all of us, they were Americans.
All for one, a nation under God, my Country Tis of Thee
8/27/2018 My Country Tis of Thee Contest Sponsor: Brahn Bailey
I was a classic 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air, in mint condition, admiral and white.
My owner had other beautiful, classic cars, like stars sparkling into twilight.
My owner loved his old cars, saying 'they don't make them like they used to;'
And I enjoyed getting out upon the open road, to show him what I could do.
My fellow cars and I saw lots of sunny days, in bliss freedom of the flowers,
Traveling the length and breadth of this land, in the clasp of jeweled hours.
Flighty friends and I recalled 'good old days,' in rosy sunset times of finally,
Laughing and talking our memories in darkness, as moon shone, indefinably.
Forever friends were like feeling family, in the floral days of fuchsia's reign;
When flitting, green butterflies fanned for long, and falcons flew like a train.
I lived in the house of pleasant shadows, which didn't have many windows;
For it was one huge room without a view, like a path without the primrose.
Sparkling summer sauntered in silently, creating such scenes on my street!
Silken clouds roamed, when Sam ran his errands. Traveling was ever a treat.
Neighbors made admiring noises about me, going off on rides in neon night.
We cars were the toast of the neighborhood, nice nostalgia, in a golden light!
Clown orchids had ceased performing, in gone days of purple, beard orchids.
Now their summer relative had the holy ghost, like bliss from many sources.
Mask flowers held beautiful mystery, in alluring hues of pink, cream and red;
Like sweet secrets of moonlit shadows, and violet dreams after going to bed.
Once, Sam and I were cruising Sunset Highway, for it was my turn that day;
While dear friends waited in the cool, quiet of home, for their chance to play.
I felt a sudden impact on my left, and I knew I was hurt! There was damage;
But if not for Sam's expert driving, we might not have been able to manage!
This had happened to me times before. Such is to be expected in a long life.
As ever, friend Sam was my Superman, my mechanic in times of cruel strife.
My convalescence didn't seem so long, as I laughed about old days with pals.
When streets were not very busy, and many listened to front porch musicales.
For we were darling, daring trailblazers, quaint old paving way for all modern,
Leaving lingering feelings of fond nostalgia, like lovely fall leaves which yearn!
I had just left the Fairgrounds Race Track with my dad, where I won $13.00 on a nag whose name I forget and Dad won nothing, which mattered not since his goal was to 'celebrate' the night with his Candy Apple Red....newly bored out 1957 Chevrolet Corvette by timing it, while crossing Lake Pontchartrain's Causeway.
If you're not familiar, it's New Orleans longest bridge over water at 23.83 miles so off we went. At 11:00 PM the only thing in sight was a couple of lone Sea Gulls. Dad held up his stop watch, hit the gas pedal and zoom, we were gone. I remember when the Vette hit the hump where the bridge opens for boats to pass, it literally left the payment and took flight. Amazingly, when the four wheels returned to the cement, they were not felt and continued on smoothly to the end of the bridge, where we finally got off.....AMEN!
Daddy was in awe as he pulled over on a side street raising the stop watch to the street lamp in order to claim his glory. "Baby," he yelled, "Look at this" as he stuck that watch in my face. The watch reflected a 227 mile per hour trip in eleven minutes flat!
'Aw Baby you saw it! You lived it! Who cares if no one believes us! We did it!"
Dad owned New Orleans Ford Service Company but he was always a Chevy man at heart. He'd pull the 283-cid V-8 engine and to him it was the most revered engine in the entire world. The small block was what he was most proud to convey to any on lookers whether interested or not. He'd rave, "it's been bored out to 1/8 inch to 3.875 in stroke remained a short 3.00 in."
That was a long FAST memory ago. One I shall never forget! Did we really go that fast? Yes, according to his stop watch.....
I remember we'd all pile
Into that beat up Chevrolet.
Every Sunday afternoon
I can still hear papa say.
Come on kids we're going,
Ya, we're taking us a ride.
There ain't no need to push and shove,
Everyone can fit inside.
Then papa started singing
One of his old favorite songs.
We'd slap our knees and whistle
And try to sing along.
The smile on our mother's face
Was enough to make me cry.
Oh, I wonder what has happened
To that kind of family life.
We'd sit there at the table
With our head bowed down in prayer,
We never had enough
But thanked the Lord for what was there.
Then, after we had finished
Pa would bring out his guitar,
And we'd all sit there on the porch
And gaze up at the stars.
Then papa started singing
One of his old favorite songs.
We'd slap our knees and whistle
And try to sing along.
The smile on our mother's face
Was enough to make me cry.
Oh, I wonder what has happened
To that kind of family life.
The R&R's of marvin, 1st rule you will go to sunday school and every sunday n' for goodness sake don't say I gotta headache. growing up in poppa marvin's world was a daily mindblower it seemed he was in a mode of raisin' us good and like I say-daily. he had a way of showing affection with each one of us and there was 10 of us. one day we's all in the front yard looking for daddy to come around the corner on his bicycle getting off from work, it was beautifully wicked, daddy comes around the corner and pulls up in the driveway and we all said it at the same time-we gotta car! daddy justa smiling knowing he once again did real well for his family, we all hopped into daddy's 1952 powerglide Chevrolet. I googled it-powerglide, 2 gear automatic. special events there was always an associated scent wit it, made for impressions. my special one on one event wit daddy I was the only kid he would let hop into mr. Hamilton's stinky cigar funeral car and ride down to the local radio station for the Hamilton's family hour and they would tell the listeners who they plan to bury that week. daddy would start the program singing: have I given anything today..impressions probably why I became a radio personality. poppa marvin, man that guy was special, we would go on these sunday school picnics to different places, I remember swimming way out in this pool and wow, an undercurrent in ah swimming pool! daddy was so cool he was right there and lead me to safety and he never mentioned it. I took many clues from daddy on how to treat a woman with his interactions with my momma gladys, one evening I hear momma in a very concerned tone-marvin let's go to our room we never argue in front of these children-another R of the R&R's of marvin, not only give counsel but take counsel. I loved growing up in the south wit my daddy he had good rules, the town I grew up in had good rules especially for teenagers we had some adult privleges real early. the day I looked at that highway patrolman wit this wide brim hat on his head as he handed me my north Carolina drivers license in my daddy's 1952 powerglide Chevrolet-I was only 13..i miss you poppa.
It was another senior high school dance,
and it was you that asked me to go
the graduated senior home on holiday, in the know,
those old memories had made you miss your chance;
but it was me with two left feet
trampling toes on that floor in shame and defeat;
the well-worn gym was decorated for the fall festival
colors of autumn in passing, yellow, orange and brown
and your reputation revived as the old class clown
and I, loving you my high school crush back in town.
The pleated dacron dress was a rounded neckline high
snug on my shoulders glowing with turquoise flowered sighs
that somehow matched your well-pressed suit and tie
as my father frowned seeing your hand upon my thigh;
Mom, however, knew the drill and simply said he should remember
and off we hurried to the dance that late November
what a story we could tell, those days of teenagers ready to rebel,
shortening my skirt as we left the old Chevrolet you loved so swell,
through the doors, we heard the music vibrating in quickened start
and I never once denied you any dance because of my heart.
We would do the twist, the watusi, and the mashed potato
and slow dances seemed so outdated
but with the stroll, I could always catch your eye
and we 'd saunter off together in the Lady's Choice
while you sang to me in a deepened voice
if only time could find its way
to return to those our best glory days
when you and I were young, unafraid and believed we could fly
dancing to the dreams we had back then
let's keep on dancing and believe we can do it all again.
Shake it, shake it, shake it baby.
for Kim Rodriguez's contest
Dance with Me back to the 60s girl.
3/12/20
It debuted in the sixties, and was an immediate star.
This model was within the genus of the family sports car.
The first generation was among the sportiest in its day.
This automobile was manufactured by Chevrolet.
With a powerful V-8 under its hood,
this new breed of car proved to be quite good.
It appeared in lieu of a four-seater Corvette.
The Camaro was one of the best anyone could get.
It was the product of General Motors’ brightest engineers.
Five generations rolled off assembly lines for thirty-five years.
Unfortunately, this model was discontinued recently.
There has been more emphasis on fuel efficiency.
It was also victimized by accelerated depreciation.
As a result, sales decreased throughout the nation.
These cars will once again appear on an assembly line.
They will make their way into showrooms in 2009.
Continuation of Brodsky’s History of the Twentieth Century
1918. A flu pandemic in Spain takes hold,
From Kansas over the seas in America bold,
Women’s suffrage win the vote,
Their opinion is not remote,
Russia switches from the Julian calendar,
To the Gregorian, the west’s larder,
Russia agrees the world war to leave,
To forsake the German swastika sleeve,
UK navy air flying squad merges with RAF,
To make one dynamic force, to the Nazi’s deaf,
The Finnish civil war ends which did distract,
Germany away from their vile, aggressive act,
Nazareth and Forest of Argonne battles won,
Allied forces break the Hindenburg line rung,
The First World War ends with freedom standing,
Democracies will liberate and love undemanding,
Austria, Czech, Hungary become Republics grand,
A peace conference is held in Paris’s free land.
The man of the year is William C “Billy” Durant,
The founding owner and President of General Motors,
He engineers automobiles with speed, at some current,
Like sliced bread off a line to be given coasters.
(Billy Durant)
After Billy bought Chevrolet motors,
Of Delaware, to take the market’s rotors,
He made its head into a new entity,
In General Motors company identity,
But this man, called Pierre S DuPont,
Stole his presidency with great foe,
So this chief man Billy bought bowling alleys,
But died unknown to his lucrative days:
But Durant asserted in money terms our friend,
Technology, after which the war did quickly end.
Reference: History of the Twentieth Century by Joseph Brodsky
A used Monte Carlo was my first car.
It couldn’t be driven so very far.
Though it had been well used,
It did not look abused.
Less a ride than a fine objet d art.
Seven miles to the gallon, all it got.
We stopped at the gas pump, more than a lot.
Though gas prices were low,
My wages were also.
The car was pretty, its performance not.
I have had a number of cars since then.
None have made me as proud as I was when
I drove that sporty car
That could not go too far
Before a stop for a fill-up again.
By; Joyce Johnson
For Carol's contest "My First Car"
Won no. 2
"One of the Boys"
One of those tote carrying
cardholdin' members
Levi jeans wearing
tobacco can imprinted
baseball cap with the
accessorized fishhook in it
An ol' southern boy
who likes his toys,
his Jim Bean and Roy
argues over Ford or
Chevrolet.
Pick-up truck lifted
windows non tinted
Shoots his guns
proper like,
and tilts his hat when
he tells a lady goodnight
You might think I was talkin
about a full blooded red neck
but that'd be your own
misconception
Color was never mentioned
just the ends and outs of
a southern description
See sometimes city boys
read a little Mark Twain
and watch a little Andy Griffith too
So don't put color where it don't belong
this here write is just proof,
we need more than eyes to see
the wonder of our humanity.
Now pass some of that whisky
and describe your definition
of black to me.
Bet it can't be described
by just one color.
My father was a man who stood strong and tall,
And in our opinion he was the best FATHER of all.
He would come home for lunch and sit us in his lap
And allow us to take off his working cap.
Mom would say no but we ate some of his food,
Dad always seem to be in such a good mood.
In the evenings, coming home and after taking his bath,
He did many things to make his kids laugh.
He would take us out for ice cream and a movie at the drive-inn.
And have us in bed way before ten.
My mom was an awesome cook; she made sure we were fed.
But I often remember it was daddy who tucked us in bed.
He had a white Chevrolet station wagon, it was red inside;
On so many occasions he would take us out for a ride.
We woud go down Highway 90 to his mama's house,
And he would leave us there to be alone with his spouse.
They would come back to get us when summer came to an end,
To take us back home because school was about to begin.
This went on for the first several years of my life;
Then there was a divorce between daddy and his wife.
He was no longer there, no longer with my mother;
But he also left me, my sisters and my brothers.
We saw him on the weekends, but it wasn't the same;
As him being at home and we could call out his name.
As I grew older, he was there for my sons,
He was there in the evening and even at dawn.
He touched their lives in a very special way,
And they are acting like him to this very day.
They are raising their children and taking up time;
To do things with them that will stay in their minds.
I pray for my sons marriages and also for thieir homes;
That they will never leave their wives or children alone.
In the marriage I pray the wives will stay,
And NEVER decide to get up and walk away.
Because it takes two to make the thing go right;
So I keep on praying every day and every night.
Tribute to Mr. Homer Yant October 25-1925 - February 5, 2012.
Penned 2/5/2015 Dad was funeralized on 2/11/2012 3 years
BIG JACK
“Big Jack’s Chevrolet!”
That’s Big Jack talking his cars
He is pathetic!
Jack has a hyena voice
Uses hands to make a point
It’s one of two things –
He’s too tight to pay a pro
(thinks he’s just as good)
Or he loves to see himself
Big Jack on TELEVISION!
Retch
Got yourself some new wheels, huh?
I can hear the squeals of rubber burning
I cough exhaust…left behind, oh gosh! I’m holding just a pile of dented fenders…
suspended… Your bucks spent. Engine Red..that foreign bred truck!
Snap, crackle and Popular Mechanic…Look at the maniac go….!
Holy, Moly….must be rolling in dough!
Woe is me, a junk yard dog, pile of junk, smelly sneakers left in my trunk
There he goes….who knows where….how many horses…under that hood...?
Should I know? I’d fly too, if I could. Just scrap metal in my bellow.
Heavy pedal, limp and wasted..used to be his favorite girl…kept me polished, waxed
and oiled…now I’m soiled. No garage..no umbrella, who gives a rip? Worn out
engine, give up the ship! Cast away…..not in style…gave a ride to Gomer Pyle
“See the USA in your Chevrolet"…, ‘cept that I ain’t got no carburetor
See ya later gator…what’s the hurry fella? Did ya see the light was yellow?
Red light, yellow light…. see if we can make the green
Going green….going green,….does that mean his hybrid’s clean?
Anti-freeze, it makes me sneeze….can’t I have some oil please?
Give ‘er the gas, let’s see what she’s got!
OH.. forgot!…ain’t got my tires..I’m retired
Pubescent male migration, arcing over sunless streets
Hear that squeak……doctor told me oil leak
Honest Engine, joined the pack, no Pontiac to take that ride
Is there heaven for old cars? Car 54 where are you??
I got my kicks on Route 66, running relays, no baton, just open freeways
Son of a gun…give it the gun……vroom.. vroom… run… run!
One door closes, need new hoses, or I don’t go nowhere… no how
Pile of rust, I’ve been busted, up on blocks…what a crock!
My teeth and pride are all knocked in…windshield wipers brush a tear
Windshield wipers swipe the years…skid marks show behind my eyes
Teeth and pride are all knocked in, guess I’m just an old has been!
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a stream of consciousness