On the Straight and Narrow
Heading down the highway
On the straight and narrow,
My eyes glued to the road,
My hands at ten and two
On the wheel,
My foot pressed hard to the floor.
The engine whines as I
Push it just a little bit harder.
The wind whips by the windows
Making music in my ears.
The sky above, a golden red
Around a white-hot globe
Slowly falling to the horizon line.
I sneak a peek at the rear view
Reflecting my life like a funhouse mirror.
My past is holding onto
The speeding bumper,
While the tale of my past
Whips in the wind
Like a kite in a hurricane.
I shift my eyes back to the road
Fighting the urge, once again,
To observe my past.
I tighten the grip on the wheel
And do my best to keep me
Heading down the highway
On the straight and narrow.
Roy W. Backes
© 2020
Roy W. Backes - Poetry 