Road Trip

Road Trip

happily ever after
is not a smooth glide
down a freshly-paved highway
in a pristine silver Mercedes
under clear skies

the road can be bumpy
and some of those potholes
are decades old
and pretty darn deep

sometimes we cruise along
enjoying the view
checking out enticing detours
or going pedal-to-the-metal
to get to that little diner
with the best burger ever

other times we get lost
in a maze
of unpaved streets
and some of them
are dead-enders
with no warning signs

there are a few maps
in the glove compartment
but someone did an origami
fold-and-tuck on them
and they’re impossible
to open

the Google lady’s
no help either
there are too many places
with no cell service

along the way
and then there’s my
Looney-Tunes mother
and your
iceberg of a father
who show up
uninvited
and try to grab the wheel

but your brown eyes still twinkle
and I still sing an off-key happy song
when my hand
finds yours
and weaves its way in
even when we fall
into a ditch and
the wheels spin and spin
before we manage to get out

and all along the roadway
we remember
that we’re playing
for the same team
which means
we always win
no matter what might happen
especially on cold nights
when the heater fails
and we have to cuddle up
to keep warm

Author: Cynthia Bernard

Photo: Averie Woodard on Unsplash

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