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Virginia J. Poli

Life's Highway

men working
2000 feet
and the left lane ends
any further questions
reduce speed...

merging lanes of stress
inch towards the right
into bill-board ideas
crisscrossing
over mental yellow lines
while the left lane
changes concepts in 100 feet

cranes of thought ahead
lift cement columns
of wasted time
and forge new exits
on a one way street
because there is no parking on this side

fresh painted white lines
weave haphazardly
missing
the glowing neon cones
on purpose
accidentally

nightly
the engine whines and chugs
with a warning.
southward the feathers flew
careening past bridges
that may freeze
before the road surface

avoiding the trench-coated search lights
for sanity's sake
and steering south
gray metallic barriers give way
to an ocean of salty air
and foam crested waves
knowing
each traveling thought
will soon be beached
in sand castles
on castles of sand

wading
ankle deep
the rushing waves
pull the sandy doubts
out to sea
revealing
hidden treasures
in seashell memories

sun drenched
the life guard smiles
leisurely
protecting the sand crabs
uncovered
from their watery home
as the children's laughter
surfs along the shore
lifting with hope
amazed
at Neptune's magic touch