How far is heaven?
Up the Northbound
101

My grandmother
just died and
I want my dead
older brother

This is not a
drive for fun.

I go up to
Goleta and
pull off for
gas at Turnpike

It's a Shell
My only gas
card.

Todd is
obviously
with me
on this flight.

Waiting in line
For the gas
station key.

The guys saying
they need to take
a leak.

I just say I have
to pee.

Minutes from
the Lompoc
Airforce base
A Good looking
Twenty something
Military man

Dressed up
on leave
Obviously
Flying down
the freeway
in the yellow
new Mustang
to his girlfriend
I wonder if
she is from
Ventura like me.

He looks me
up and down
And ya I might
be cute.

But he's miltary
and that's not
what he's thinking.

His thinking is this
one of my buddies' girls?
Why is she in gas station
in the middle of nowhere
at literally three AM?

Her pants are falling off
her hips.
She obviously hasn't been
eating.
I hope she's going to pick
up her man in Lompoc
and she slows down in
that car so he doesn't
get her bleeding.

I finally get my turn at the
key, the military stud
can't wait.

He runs behind the
car wash to pee.

He shocked when I
finish going before he.

I laugh to myself an
think of my Edwards
Airforce Base, friend,
James and his wife,
Marlene.

We used to go everywhere
together.

“Dam it Marlene,
Terri's showered,
shaved, lotioned
and dressed!
Take a dam PTA!!”

I am not sure where I
am going.

Buelltons on my mind.
I wonder if I go to Fairfield
to my adopted brother, Scott,
did I leave the animals
enough food behind?

Driving past the AFB
Exit, I think of
the all night coffee
shop.

It's next to the cheap
motel the guys make
love to their girlfriends
if they can't wait to get
home.

I think it would be
comforting to drink
coffee with a pilot or
mechanic.

Problem is there would
be more like three or four
and one of them will
want to take me home
to Mommy.

So I fly past that exit and
realize I am going 83.
Slow down Terri.
It's a Dodge Neon
Not a Fighter Jet
And you are going Kamikazi

I keep starting so speed
But every long haul
trucker reminds me of
Terry and if I wreck
my car and they
have to pull me
out, it would crush
them forever.

A drunk driver
swerves in front
of me.

I stay back thinking
of Teddy in Afg.
And how his wife
was killed in a car.

I don't want someone
to have to explain
to him if that happens
to me.

So I slow down and
mid-way back to
Ventura.

I pass the Vietnam
Vet who I massage
Jeff who I broke up
from his brother.

Flying through
Carpinteria.

I pass Mark's office
Mr. Caveman diet
Who I pointed out
there was a Vons
down the street
and no berry shortage.

I pass apartment
#13
Where I pity
porked his brother.
He was a virgin
at 46
BTW, he grew up
to be Mr. 41 lover.

So I realized it's
almost morning
and I can get to
Eternal Valley
And lay on
Todd's grave
face first
after I get through
the San Fernando Valley.

Long.

But I actually love it.

<3

I was thinking about a poem with the same title and along the same lines, I just haven't written it yet.

3AM joy rides,,,YOU,,scare me,,,but THIS,,is a good write Tea.
and as for the night,,,,man,,and I THOUGHT I WAS A OWL....