The light of a new day just started tumbling over the horizon. A slight southerly breeze salutes the silhouetted trees. I make my way quietly out of the house to meet an old friend. His excited ding ding ding welcomes me as I open the door. We have made this journey many times before, and we both know this is the last.
The road is a curious thing. Born out of need, and more importantly, ingenuity. She calls from the edge of darkness. An insatiable siren that has beckoned, and not been resisted by, restless sojourners. As I make my way onto the interstate I hear her song clearly.
The jewels of the road are in your heart. The path is the same no matter who you are. Let your soul turn the wheel of fate. You'll soon arrive safely at heavens hate.
Miles and miles of fields and barns. Rusted out windmills guard the ghosts of yesterday. An occasional whiff of soon to be bacon burns my nostrils. I have 20 hours of bliss ahead of me. My friend quietly hums as children with hopeful faces silently wave.
The oft overlooked Missouri River separates me from my first border. My heart races. I feel like a conquering hero with the blood of a dragon on my sword.
The prepubescent flatness of the land continues. I've entered the land of the Big Red. Flags, helmets, and banners adorn every house. A religion that would only work in a desolate land full empty people.
A blue sign points towards rest and the promise of snacks. I am greeted by the weary. Bags under their eyes and children clinging to their legs. We nod at each other with a certain understanding. I splash icy water on my face, possibly refreshed for a moment, and head to Vend O' World. For a measles sum the envy of the culinary world awaits my deft touch. B2 it is. My fate is sealed.
Welcome to Colorful Colorado. On a brown sign nonetheless. Only a few hours until I race among the lifelines of the giants. Cattle chew thoughtlessly beneath the blazing sun. Death is all over the interstate. Guts, brains, and gore. Ain't progress grand?
The illuminated hat promises thin sliced beef. The saliva flows like a unimpeded river. A muffled voice greets me with the rehearsed verse of an untrustworthy worker. I grab the bag greedily, almost dropping it on account of the grease. Ahhhh that really hit the spot. Donde esta el bano?
I'm driving through the sky.
I knew that I could fly.
But I think I'm going to cry
Because that curve up ahead
Is filling me with great dread
If I falter then I'll be quite dead.
I stop for a moment to take in the celestial view. I may grab some of those pearls for my future wife. The air is so piny pure. I'm reinvigorated but need some rest.
There is frost on the windshield. I scrape it off with a frisbee I find in the trunk. I turtle my way down the mountain. The scene changes quite suddenly and I enter the desert as I cross state lines.
A calming peace sweeps over my body. I am at one with the landscape and she is one with me. Together we dance slowly. A great vastness of nothing. A solitary land with no visible life but yet teeming with creation. Tears slowly fill my eyes. True love at least. Will it be reciprocated? Only time will tell.
The purple of the night surrounds me as I enter the gorge. Imposing buttes and mountain curves keep my knuckles white. A clearing awaits with sad trailers, forming a community, standing in the desert. But maybe I misjudged. A bonfire of sorts shows the dancing of some sort of festival.
I come up over a ridge and a magnificent sights unfolds. The glittering gold of hope. An oasis for the degenerate addict. I press on the gas as adrenaline fills my being. It's time to make my mark on this world. Like a lamb to slaughter I squeal and turn into the city.