Song of the Offramp
by Travis Stephens
No where near the speed limit
a small pickup
stacked high
needs a wash like
beer needs a slice of lime.
I got my windows down
dusty wind
mostly tasting like redneck
kinda day.
Hicksville, California.
Woodchuck, LA.
Put on a flannel shirt,
maybe the sleeves cut off
outta my way, Stan.
Me and the trucks
me and the tool box
cracked a beer
rolling on Highway 110.
Some fool has “Rehab” cranked up
so loud I can hear Amy breathing.
No No No.
Sometimes I go to the beach
sometimes I
find a reason
for all this unpleasant
company
like it has something
smart to say.
A hip, a hop
a full brakes stop.
Change lanes
maybe with a signal
maybe with a wave;
teenage dreams
learn to drive like that.
Some guy lurks a
hopped up Honda
looking for a reason to throttle up.
He doesn’t know
eight hundred thousand
of us on the freeway
ignore him
every day.
Sing along with Amy Winehouse & me
I won’t Go Go Go.
Bio: Travis Stephens is a tugboat captain who resides with his family in California. A University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire alumnus, recent credits include: Gyroscope Review, 2River, Sheila-Na-Gig, GRIFFEL , Offcourse , Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Gravitas and The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature among others.
Visit him at: zolothstephenswriters.com