"I roll the window down, and then begin to breath in
the darkest country road and the strong scent of evergreen
from the passenger seat as you are driving me home"

And I am taken back to Yellowstone and Yosemite
And Patrick's Point and Brookings Oregon
And every other woody green-land I ever found myself
I can smell the pine infusion of moss and mist
The chilly and moist feel of it in my lungs

"Then looking upwards
I strain my eyes and try
to tell the difference between
shooting stars and satellites
from the passenger seat as you are driving me home"

And I am on the ground in the dirt that smells like trees
I am in a sleeping bag without a tent or a mattress
I am next to my grandparents and they are telling me
Where the north star is, if that blinking light is a plane or a meteor
I see the strange and mysterious we found at 10 pm
And the deep dark beauty of space from the Great Basin
I see the intricate details
Of stars and planets and galaxies warped together
Against the all enveloping pitch black nothingness

"Do they collide
I ask and you smile"

And I remember every question ever asked
Every story ever told
The geography of the land
How to get unlost
The mountain lions and the swainson's thrush and the bears
Ghosts and water-babies and aliens
I've heard it all
And I remember everyone who ever told me these things
Always with a proud smile

"With my feet on the dash
the world doesn't matter"

And I remember my rides home from school
The clunky white van off in the farthest parking space
The way it creaked and receipts fell out every time I opened the door
How you would always let me get away with leaning back
Tossing my feet on the dash
And cursing and rapidly reciting my day for you
Every boring and gruesome detail

"When you feel embarrassed I'll be your pride. When you need directions, I'll be the guide for all time"

And all this does is remind me of my family. My wonderful family, whom I will always cherish

"For all time"