City guys country song

City guys country song

It’s not the hot rainy night in Georgia, rain seeping into red soil

running off my hat and down the back of my neck,

it’s not the turquoise and silver jewelry you liked,

it’s not even the grits, hocks ‘n lemonade or

killer barbecue served up hot that I liked from a place that looks like a truck hit it

‘cause one did some years back,

it’s not that I’m here alone staring out the window

wondering

what was, what is, what’s next

tracing figures in my condensed breath that are streaked like my wiper blades

turning and twisting in time to my gut – realizing

there is no next.

The dog butts my leg; we go out back and

relieve ourselves at the same bush

shake ourselves off when we’re done but refrain

from kickin’ dirt and sniffin’ each other,

mosey down the street - in different directions,

stop ‘n stare each other down: I blink first,

give and walk along  his way –

it’s been one of those days this month 

besides which I’d walked my way already once

not looked back when you called after I’d up and left

you to the comforts of your old friends Bud Weiser and Marlboro Man

cigarette smoke swirls framing you in the fog like a mystery movie.

I still think on it and you now and then like when I’m cruising in the truck

with no a/c

just me and the dog both of us panting in the heat,

listening to FM ‘cause the CD player’s broke and someone boosted the iPod;

the women aren’t looking anymore an’ we ain’t either,

no loss, no gain, I reckin' and that’s ok because

we’re just city guys in a country song me, the dog, the truck even

the girl we left behind

hoping that someone will drop a coin

hit the select button and

listen to our one hit wonder somewhere in a booth at an all night diner

where they drink strong coffee, hum along, chat up a bored waitress who’s past given up waiting

and order flapjacks, biscuits 'n gravy.