A Road… : A Poem on Nocturnal Drives, Disorientation, and Dead Ends

by Rodrigo Palacios

ché la diritta via era smarrita.

(For the straight way was lost)

— Dante Alighieri, Inferno, I, 3.


A Road…

The fragrance of gasoline

at a gas station.

Who is pumping?

Ten dollars a gallon.

Is that Chanel No. 5?

Tu conduis?

I’ll drive. You’ll get us killed.

It’s a long, long drive

on this forsaken road.

No red lights—

only far off,

blinking in the dark.

Don’t fall asleep.

I was just sleeping you away.

We’re lost.

Is north here or there?

I don’t know.

Come here.

Hold my hand gnarled hand

Turn on the GPS.

Is it far away?

Far away?

Who knows?

I don’t either.

Just you and me here…

blink

It’s dark out there.

Ink

We don’t know the way.

I can’t see anything.

I can’t either. 

hush

Where are you?

This a dead end

Are we dead?

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