changing course to calico
we went to the coast to relax
but the ocean turned angry
chasing us back towards bakersfield
on route fifty-eight
somewhere along the way
we stopped for coffee and gas
highway bandits lifting the surfboards
before we received our change
(none of the cellular towers
seemed to be operable
many of them laying horizontal
between barren oil fields)
the clouds above were filled with
rain refusing to confess
lightning and thunder merely
static racing through the speakers
stoned boys in back suggested
we change our course to calico
where they said the honky-tonk there
was certain to change our luck
june two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
Ouch… I have to say you take the romance out of road-trips…
I had not heard of Calico until writing this poem – sounds like a nice place to visit 😉