BAYFIELD TO BATON ROUGE (& back)

My left leg fell asleep several counties ago,

my mother has already spilled her coffee on two separate occasions,

and a rock is stuck in the tape player.

It has begun.

A 1995 GMC Safari becomes the grounds

for a thirty hour long test of wills.

Only the strongest will survive.

Only the dead will know peace.

The cracked leather seats

are peppered with unidentifiable crumbs

that stick to the undersides of my thighs

like it's their job.

Although, not regularly religious,

I close my eyes in prayer,

as my dad enters a one way

the wrong way.

A curious racket

comes from the back,

where I suspect

we have accidentally packed the cat.

At last, shining in the dark distance,

the oasis that is the 24 hour diner.

A smokey voiced waitress

brings us syrupy platters of pancakes and bacon.

We eat and we drive.

We stop and I vomit.

I draft a class action suit against Denny's

on a napkin, in the backseat.

When we reach our destination

we celebrate, we forgive.

But we have not forgotten

about the ride back. 

Reviews

[Rasputin]

Most people wouldn't think twice if you told them that you were going on a long drive with your parents, but by noticing little, forgettable details and exemplifying the horrors of the mundane, you turned it into something truly surreal. And I love how the end promises more misery to come. This was very funny. Great job.