My First Ton Poem by Nat Z. Punx

it was early november
my father had a touring motorcycle
and i had just turned sixteen
we were never exactly close
but he would often try
to no avail
i was just wired differently
or so it appeared
and never exactly family oriented
when offered a morning ride
on a brisk autumn saturday
to visit his sister in law
i wasn't completely entralled
but for some reason or another
i decided to go without much persuasion
it was a nice uneventful
twenty minute controlled ride
not as cold as expected
behind the vetter fairing
white bell star helmeted
a cruise through teenage geekdom
maturely trying to hold down
the god i hope no one sees me thoughts
enjoying it much more than i had anticipated
when we arrived, my aunt offered us breakfast
and small talk
there was a reason we were there
that i was never made aware of
my cousin, somewhere ten years my senior
was hung over and slouched in the living room recliner
he was not something an uncle would be exceptionally proud of
he was not someone i was encouraged to emulate or look up to
or even interact with much
there was a reason we were there
that i was never made aware of
my cousin was a factory rat
who spent his money on booze and fast cars
never saving enough for a home of his own or even an apartment
instead dropping it in hick bars and country white trash trailer park girls
and fast cars
we really had nothing in common
besides fast cars
i don't think he ever did the work himself
but his cars were always modified
slick in a backwoods moonshiner way
and he had good taste in the fastest of american offerings
this year it was the pontiac twin turbo T/A
it actually wasn't too hard for me to take my fathers guidance
about making him some kind of teenage rebel icon
i was surprised when he asked me to go for a ride in his new car
i was surpised more that my father has no qualms about it