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aks The Hot Rod Poet. photo by Peddlar ... ......................... |
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And it was early spring of '62 and my father was driving, as he pulled to the curb Where I was standing, hanging With my tough-kid friends. Ya, it was just an Old Blue Car and I was a greaser then with my hair slicked back and my shoulders squared - and I didn't need nobody. Ya, it was just an Old Blue Car, and as I stepped to the window, my father pointed over to the seat, where my, old late-teen dog sat; panting, huffing, trying to keep his breath, and my father said, "I'm taking the dog to the Vet ... You wanna Come?" And I looked into the Old Blue Car, and saw my dog huffing his death-breath rattle; and sucked in my tough-kid gut and shook my head - "Naw!" And the old dog looked at me with pleading yellow eyes; and my father said, "Are you sure?" And in my tough-kid voice I lied; "Yeah, I'm sure." It was just an Old Blue Car, and I watched it drive away with my dog and my childhood - and neither was ever returned. And Damn! How many times through the years have I wished that I had taken that ride, held that dog, put my hand on his quivering side, patted him and told him - thanks for his love and friendship and his undying loyalty, and told him - goodbye; and said I'd love and miss him for a long, long time - because that's what forever is: a long, long time. Ya, it was just an Old Blue Car and it drove from sight, but never memory, back in early spring, of '62. |
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and it was early spring of '85, and my father was driving as he pulled to the curb where I was working on my bike. And he wound down the window as I stepped to the car and said "I got somewhere to go, you wanna come?" and I thought of it as I looked into his tired old eyes and watched his chest heave with heavy aired breath. And God Knows I knew, we were talking about that ride. And I sucked in my tough-Biker gut and shook my head and said, "Naw!" and he looked at me with pleading eyes and asked, "are you sure?" And in my tough-Biker Voice, I lied; "Yeah, I'm sure." His last words to me were; "Take care of yourself." Take care of yourself, I returned. He just shook his head and drove away. Ya, It was just an Old Blue Car. And damn! How many times through the years have I, and will I wish that I'd taken that ride, put my hand on heaving shoulder and told him - thanks for his undying loyalty and his friendship and his always being there; and told him: I'm going to love and miss you for a long, long time - because that is, what forever is, a long, long time. But instead I let him drive away in that Old Blue Car. And damn! how bitter I know that life is full of vanities, lies, mistakes - and Old Blue Cars. |
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