Do you remember?

A range of memories, this one from years ago on a vacation trip. Ah, the things we do in our twenties. Still, we met the best Chrysler Mechanic in Montana. 

Do you remember

When the night was falling

In Montana

The car headlights

Growing dimmer

And dimmer

We thought we’d never make it

Yet still

We pulled off the road

Found a place to sleep

Ir smelled of cigarettes

But the owner knew

The best Dodge Dart mechanic

In Montana.

He agreed to take a break

From his hunting trip

To fix our alternator.

Do you remember

That trip?

The lights growing dimmer

And dimmer

Yet still

We made it

Yes

We made it’

We barely made it

Off the exit  ramp

In the dark.

Dental adventures

Made it through the cleaning, with my beloved grading papers in the waiting room. Now I wait... and floss.

Now the cleaning

Remember to floss

She says

This will mean

No novocaine

No drilling.

The dentist says

I understand

You had some adventures

After the last visit.

We’ll see you in six months

Unless

Unless

We see you sooner.

I will floss.

I will floss.

Someone new

I will walk to Starbucks soon to meet a friend of a friend who recently moved to the area. An adventure.

Off to meet someone new

At Starbucks

A friend of a friend

Who thought we might

Be friends.

An adventure.

I will arrive and scan faces

For someone

My age,

Order the standard

Venti non-fat latte

And a blueberry muffin.

And then

We will settle in.

Comfortable places

Ready to go home to the cat.  We will drive past the orange moose in Black River Falls.  There is comfort in familiar things.

Back in my comfort spot

Away from home.

Writing again.

Soon we will return

By way of the orange moose.

He will wave us past

With his antlers.

Moose are like that.

Certain landmarks

Are vital to existence.

To me adventure feels best

When it sets off

From comfortable places.

Odors

We only read the gas company directions after the fact.  Do not turn on lights or use the phone.  Do not open doors or windows.  Stay outside.  We are inside with the doors open, smelling leftover skunk smell and a cat box that needs fresh litter.  We wait for Nicor to arrive.

We woke up at 4:30

To a faint smell of gas,

Turned on every light

In the house.

Apparently

This is wrong.

Thankfully

We are still here.

Now we wait

For the gas company,

Doors open,

Noses attentive to every odor.

Skunks were busy outside

In the night.

The cat box

Needs fresh litter.

We no longer smell gas.

Still we wait,

Cat carrier ready.

My beloved will get the cat.

I am in charge

Of the carrier.

We are primed for adventure

At 6 in the morning.

We wait for adventure

At 6 A.M.

Familiar order

There is comfort to be found in familiar things.  Like a regular plain old summer thunderstorm coming on gradually and moving on gradually.  Best of all, my weather brain moves with it.  It seems from here I can move on to more adventurous things, with my toes anchored in the familiar.

Now this

This

Is like summer thunderstorms

The way I remember them.

Distant rumble,

Sky gradually darker,

The patter

Of gentle rain.

This is the progression

Of things

In familiar order.

I am at home

In my chair.

I will go to the Clinic

In an hour,

Like every Monday.

The storm

Will have moved on.

The rumble

At a different distance

Already grows fainter.

The sky becomes

Lighter and lighter.

Eventually the sun

Will appear.

This is the way

I remember.

Short adventures

I am sitting in guest room of my sister*s home, writing.  Soon I will take a nap.  This trip promises a series of short adventures.  Talking with the woman on the short flight from Dallas to Santa Fe was the first or perhaps second in the series.  Here*s to you, Charlotte.  May your second adventure, which only you can write about, prove to be wonderful.

It is cold.

There is more snow here

In Santa Fe

Than Chicago.

The woman I met

On the hop

From Dallas

Was of course

Unlike anyone

I have met before.

We are both it seems

On short adventures.

When I think about it

There was so much

We didn*t say.

So much remains.

The leg from Dallas

To Santa Fe

Is short.

It is fitting

For a short adventure

Before the other adventures

(Sure to come)

Find their way

To the surface.