"This Way, This Fast 3" by David Joez Villaverde
for andy feathers
I imagine you reading this poem
somewhere west of Omaha
at one of those rest stops
with a Starbucks
& free wi-fi
which will be good enough
for you to check
your Facebook notifications
but not good enough
to stream video
or upload pictures
from your journey
I imagine you as fatigued
& weary
second guessing your every move
watching your funds dwindle
half-sunburned & claustrophobic
despite your best efforts –
craving solitude
indoor plumbing
or the comfort of an unfamiliar bed
I imagine Sadie
reading this over your shoulder
excited to hear from an old friend
but unsure of what I meant in that last line
of that last stanza
& I imagine
you wondering
how long I will ape your style
& how far I will go
with what
at least so far
reads like a meta-poem
knowing that we both hate that word
but you less than I
& I imagine you
reconsidering your decision
& unsure of how to broach
the topic with Sadie
or questioning if you even should
or if you should
just ride it out a little longer
& compartmentalize
all the doubts you are harboring
knowing that
for twenty-somethings
there are no mistakes
& I imagine that
as only I can imagine that
me being inured to life’s amenities
made soft by comfort
& security
both jealous
& reproaching
becoming well-versed
in the hypocrisies of life
& I know
that what I know
is not what you know
that what you see
is not what I see
& I see you
hands gripping wheel
not quite at 10 and 2
looking over your shoulder
at Sadie sleeping
at shadows passing over her face
& smiling
off center
& turning back to the road
eyes forward, steady
holding fast
everything breathing with you
forward