Hard Town Trucking Poem by Lonnie Hicks

She knew those rhythms
Hard Town Truckers
rolling in
looking for Big Cab Love
bikers rolling
singing
hop on back
small town love choices
in desert towns
in small towns
in dead towns
in mountain towns
truckers
loggers
miners
men
looking for love
drinking and women
all fingers crooked
at her
sons and daughters
of gold miners
desert rats
trailer dwellers
survivors
bar room
breasts
over the counter
drinks bought
regular lovers
customers
motel in back
the Grateful Dead
small town heroes
and road side stars
traveling shows
circuses
and movie shows
hot times
and shady sex
need blessed
with CB calls
those who stay
and those who come
those who settle
and those who leave
Harley Women
Harley Men
Truckers
and their
regular stops
and their regular women.
She stood before
the gambling machine
in the back room
the one just for
truckers
thrusting
the pin ball
bells and whistles
pinging
for love.