The Free Way
we were in the ‘63 brown Buick
I bought from my uncle for 350 dollars
blazing down the 210 Freeway to Ontario
for Cal Jam 2, the rock’n’roll concert
where we teens would light up
freedom from our parents
in a crowd of 300,000 at the speedway
we walked through the tunnel
to the infield where sleeping bags dotted the grass
(we made tracks on the grass in just an hour
it was 4am, I had been doing ‘78
trying to drive the year)
everyone was sleeping below the stars
waiting to be awakened by hundred thousand watt speakers
and reborn into rocking festival lyrics
to hear our cultural leaders--Aerosmith, Santana, Foreigner, Heart, Ted Nugent, Mahogany Rush!
and when it was over, after our fists pumped into the air
thick with smoke and spilled beer and trampled dust
we shuffled out, media fed cattle, mooing with happy tiredness
for the 2am drive home, I drove in the dark highway space
weaving with ears buzzing, we had to stop
to piss on the walls of a closed gas station
spraying yellow sparks of independence in the night
the liberation of being on our own--with friends
hours of deep high to always remember
Decadence
driving an eight lane freeway
cranking my mp3 player
electronic billboards along the way
colorful graffiti on concrete dividers
double bus folding right off the offramp
an unopened pack of Orbit in my pocket
passing stucco and glass manuments
rows of median planted palm trees
sight yellow arches and mermaid medallion
a quarter in the parking meter every fifteen minutes
Commercial
When this third grader suffers
Through hours of spots, he reaches
For a trashed Excedrin bottle, chews
Pill, parrots phrase, "That's headache #39!"
Vomits strawberry Pop-Tarts on sidewalk
After a traumatic marital breakup
On a rainy day, two-decade-old
College student and draftsman, slugs
Down a six-pack of Anchor Steam,
Then listens to stomach gurgle in bed
Since half-centurian wants to express
Poetry coming out of his mind, only
A Gateway laptop will do for fast release
On websites like Facebook and Sakai
Because social feedback keeps him connected
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