back roads

a beautiful morning
meditating in the hills above santa fe
after sleeping under the stars

transendent afternoon
in deep conversation with a dear friend
in the shady grass of the rose park

an evening gathering of community
at the hospital where he got stitched up
after a bike accident on his way home

burque travel prep for the grinding
1200 mile trip through the alienation
of bible-belt billboard unreality

armadillos tossing cornflakes
and oats throughout my car
liberating me from delusions of sleeping
in empty 90-degree midnight campgrounds

additional motel expense
and a speeding ticket
but arriving safely

to the gentle back roads
welcoming cornfields and thick musty smells
of muggy indiana in july

tiny farmers market offering
instant community

which somehow vanishes

a sick friend is suffering
amidst confusion

and great despair