At twelve miles per gallon
in mid-June Arlington
the man stopped for fuel
ignoring his malfeasant
twelve-year-old son.
Six billion ants retreat
underground under duress
the sharp gaze of a boy
and his looking glass, the son
of a man wiping sweat
off his brow under duress
from solar deliverance.
5/10/2019
Long, Low and Wide
By Elton Camp
American cars of the fifties were a big hit
Although some in a garage wouldn’t fit
No tailfin could possibly be too high
A wraparound windshield had to spy
Gobs of shiny chrome was the in thing
Like a cheap woman covered in bling
They weaved uncertainly down the way
Safety was not a concern of the day
They would rattle, shimmy and shake
The shoddy construction was a mistake
Ten miles per gallon is all some got
Get 100,000 miles and they were shot
That decade was the beginning of disgust
So that later, foreign cars became a must
Those of us who were young in that time
Considered those cars to be so sublime
Phooey to Tree Huggers
By Elton Camp
Folks tell me how they like my new Bentley
It gets eleven miles per gallon, incidentally
Such a low rating is absolutely fine with me
Because I am a filthy rich so-and-so, you see
If gas goes to ten dollars a gallon, I don’t care
I have so much money it won’t make me swear
On the environment my car may really be rough
But my response to that is, “Well ain’t that tough.”
It has to be in extreme luxury and safety that I ride
And those whining environmentalists I can’t abide
Ride around in your tacky little hybrid if you will
For one rich as me, my Bentley exactly fills the bill
Don’t expect me to buy some tacky electric car
For I fear an extension cord won’t reach that far
We might run out of gasoline, is what you say?
What a laugh. We’ll never come to see that day
So please get your crummy Prius out of my way
As I’m planning on enjoying a fast drive today
People made fun when I bought an Echo
they said it couldn’t out run a gecko.
Called it a four cylinder sewing machine
about the size of a large kidney bean.
In 01 when the gas was not as high
a manual stick I opted to buy.
I said gas will go up you wait and see
they jeered and laughed, all poking fun at me.
I pampered it with K & N filter
made sure not a thing went out of kilter.
Added a tornado to air intake
increasing mpg was piece of cake.
With windows rolled down, holding constant speed
forty-seven miles per gallon- indeed.
Copyright © 2011 By Caryl S. Muzzey
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