Scenic Road Poem by Mark Heathcote

Scenic Road



I'm taking that Joshua Forest Scenic Road.
54 miles along Route 93 northwest of Phoenix
In Our 1953 Packard Clipper Sportster Sedan
The rarest Clipper made. There's no floweriness-
Here: hot sun, straight roads and distant mountains
It all brings back memories of being young.
Chrome flashes, no-roots no-place to call home
Just open road, a few bits of luggage slung
Crumpled in the backseat; destination,
Unknown, with a seven o'clock shadow,
Trailing behind us, hope to find a motel-
Soon, Jimmy Buffett's-incommunicado
Is on the radio & I feel like I'm-daydreaming
No worries to conceive clear roads ahead
The rest of my retirement-planned in my head
O, honey, just pass me another cigarette.


~or


He's taking that Joshua Forest Scenic Road.
54 miles along Route 93 northwest of Phoenix
in his 1953 Packard Clipper Sportster Sedan
the rarest Clipper made. There's no floweriness-
here: Hot sun, straight roads and distant mountains
it all brings back memories of being young.
Chrome flashes, no-roots no-place to call home
just open road, a few bits of luggage slung
crumpled in the backseat; destination,
unknown, with a seven o'clock shadow,
trailing behind him, hoping to find a motel-
soon, Jimmy Buffett's-incommunicado
is on the radio, and it feels like a daydream
no worries to conceive clear roads ahead
The rest of his retirement-planned in his head
oh, honey, pass me another Marlboro cigarette.

Scenic Road
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