The prison bus
passes this way
every now and then,
surfacing without
warning—a leviathan
of metal, grease, and glass
its dark windows secured
by squares of rusted wire
its diesel engine heart
spewing exhaust that
turns morning rain
the color of seawater.
The prison bus
does not stop
for stop signs;
red lights are nothing
but violent memories
strung in an overcast sky.
When the bus strikes
something in its path
the prisoners bounce
slightly in their seats,
lifted into
impartial air
liberated
momentarily
by the familiar
co-conspirators
of blood and laughter.
In his dreams,
the guard who
drives the prison bus
circumnavigates the globe,
plowing through clouds
of insects that shimmer
like fuel above the road.
Apr 7, 2017
Apr 7, 2017 at 11:02 AM UTC
The prison bus
passes this way
every now and then,
surfacing without
warning—a leviathan
of metal, grease, and glass
its dark windows secured
by squares of rusted wire
its diesel engine heart
spewing exhaust that
turns morning rain
the color of seawater.
The prison bus
does not stop
for stop signs;
red lights are nothing
but violent memories
strung in an overcast sky.
When the bus strikes
something in its path
the prisoners bounce
slightly in their seats,
lifted into
impartial air
liberated
momentarily
by the familiar
co-conspirators
of blood and laughter.
In his dreams,
the guard who
drives the prison bus
circumnavigates the globe,
plowing through clouds
of insects that shimmer
like fuel above the road.
