‘Edenbray in Exile’

A Retrospective Anthology of Poetry, Articles and Essays

… … …

THE LONG DRIVE

… … …

‘Pietri, I say Pietri you are the sweetest boy a’ the three’

He mumbled something inaudible in return

He was sure, stripped to the waist and sweating

The sun scratching at him, a muzzled curr on heat

Black scars to his bronze back say a lot more than his drawl

‘Misters Paul and Danno I ain’t got no more energy in ma’ tank’

He gripped the oily wrench and pushed down hard

Breaking the seal and finishing with a toss of greasy, black hair

‘It sure is hot ma’ boy you deserves a cool, long drink’

A skunk lizard scrambled across the yard and the sky hung holy

As a bhoy I had eaten one of tham damn thangs, cooked on grass and stones

All I could think of today was bloody steak, red an’ like a woman’s hole 

‘You be okay now Misters, I’ll write you a ticket.’

I handed the boy a twenty and told him not to trouble

‘You just tell that mean bastard I called in for gas that’s all!’

‘Cos you know that it’s more than juss’ lizards are watching us speak’

The boy wiped his hands on a raw cloth hanging from his grey overalls 

He had the sweetest face I thought, ripe and sallow like a Coachela Valley date

It glistened strong and thoughtful as he accepted another note for the gas 

He retreated to the shade of the wooden outhouse to fetch change

I heard the cry of a red-shouldered hawk shoot across the flat lands

Which sends ice down my cerebral nerve, arrests me, waking my soul

Once heard a bluejay mimic that same sound but he was juss’ too ornery

The boy had returned and he took time returning my fourteen cents

I always knew I had spent too much damn money keeping that ve-hikle perky

We drove that road with that birds call cooler than a minty mohito stretched on ice

T’was the only cold thing about that day I returned to Bakersfield County

Parked up my night-green Lincoln in the lane that led to our father’s house

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writtenbyedenbray06.03.2013

                         edited24.02.2017

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#Authors Note ~ This is yet another opening salvo selected from either a Short Story, a Chapter in a Novel, or an Essay, you choose …. When I was at school we were taught to write essays – with 3 paragraphs including an Introduction, the Heart of your story and a Conclusion… 

This piece is more of a Poetic Essay – where timing and tenor are important. I sometimes wonder if children today even know what a Poem is but that sounds like I am too old to care – Thanks for reading again today:                                                                 edenbraytoday