Rome

CLICK HERE TO HEAR AUTHOR READ

It's early November

the clock's been turned back 

an hour

and I'm on the freeway 

after work 

the sky's already dark 

my eyes dart 

from the undecipherable plate

and flashing brakes

on the road

to the smiling moon

above 

and pinned next to it

in the sky 

a bright star

that isn't a star at all

it's Jupiter

I bet that none 

of the well-trained drivers

navigating

along side me

realizes it

and next to Jupiter 

less bright

and a bit down to the right 

is Saturn

Jupiter and Saturn

two gods of Rome

father and son

watching this routine

of machines

from on-high

this obedient procession

of twenty-first century

worshippers

in our daily

home to work to home 

orbit of ourselves

I stay in line

allow only my mind 

to wander

off course

to other worlds

and times

because that's

what mine

was made for

there's a sign up ahead

an exit

I've never taken

and it's tempting.