Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

Passing through nameless West Texas towns
The neon sign of a motel flashes vacant
Inside a reprieve from the cold road
The endless asphalt stretching forward
Like a jet trail
Through the dark sea of land
Inside warm myself by the heater
Listening to TV evangelists
Sermonizing apocalypse
Across the electrified airwaves
Sitting in the motel restaurant I
Dig into thick hamburgers
Listening to Hank Williams crooning,
Your cheatin heart
Walking across the parking lot,
A teenage couple are leaning against,
An old Buick making out
My thoughts wander to childhood
Limitless territories to explore
Abundant life spreading across the world,
A green revolution
The bright sun of justice reigning
Over our troubled land
Smiling faces looking out of store windows
People simply living, as though it were enough
I hear a man cursing,
A woman screaming invectives
Through the motel room wall
As I lay silently in my bed
Myriad thoughts unwinding in my head
Hungers, dreams, regrets
The flotsam and jetsam of a life
Slowly the screaming dies down
Leaving only the beating of my heart
To keep me company

yes, I hear Hank Williams

the only thing I'm missing is hash-browns

nice snapshot

The endless asphalt stretching forward
Like a jet trail

so many great images swirling about
and the loner's heartbeat
to anchor them

nice one, john!

i'm so happy to see you posting
more, please

~westie

astute observations on yr travels.

nice read, John. hope to see more!

I like these lines together best

Your cheatin heart
Walking across the parking lot

hehe.... enjoyed this, John!

Glad to read your poetry here! More?

Man I love this.

I was this..

me too
the road ran through my life for thirty years
you summed it up
in your poem
thank you

so beautiful poem goldenmyst!!!!!!! welcome here!!!!!!!

The flotsam and jetsam of a life

I like how it sounds, are they neologisms by you? I never read that words before!. Well, I know I´m not a parámetro here..!!!!!!!

thanks for posting it!!!!!

Lightning Rod, hash browns! I knew something was missing. Ahhh well. Thanks for reading my friend.

Westie your readership makes it all wonderful.

mtmynd, thanks! I never traveled that route alone. Though I have several times with companions. However, perhaps one day I go it solo.

Doreen, there are plenty more where that came from!

Mnaz, I knew you especially would identify.

Gypsy from one former road traveler to another cheers. Here's too the memories.

Arcadia, I think they're in the dictionary. I recall having looked them up for correct spelling. Thanks for reading!

John

o i just love it when someone sings! i read your piece while taking in my first cup of coffee this morning and it was a straight fit american style - you know, frontiers...highways...the moon...may the heart beat on...from word to word...Shiny, gm...

"Electrified airwaves.........Hank W crooning.........thick hamburgers....limitless territory......"

echo's in my grand canyon
Not only dig, but love this write

H

The mingo, I dig Americana. I'm glad you liked my humble contribution to the genre.

Hester, I'm glad I contributed to you enjoyment. America's vast open spaces inspire me as well.

John

reminds me of cruising Route 66.....right on descriptions of the road,
nothing like West Texas....nice read

Saw, yes this is a collage of scenes from my having traveled Route 66. We traveled all the way through to New Mexico four times and the Grand Canyon twice. Surprisingly I found the section in Texas to be the most enchanting. There is a feel out there in the open plains which is indescribable. The words used by one of the Apollo astronauts,"Magnificent Desolation", come to mind. Thanks for reading.

John