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| Image provided by Magpie Tales |
Vanished
It seemed such a lark
The four of them
In the old Chevy
On Route 66.
St. Louis to Barstow
Off to college
The summer of '54
One to remember.
Canvas water bag
Tied to the hood ornament
Luggage lashed to the back
Brownie box camera to record it all.
Three friends
And a stranger
To divide the cost of gas
Share roadside motels.
Pictures taken
We were there
Post cards mailed
Wish you were here.
And then nothing
Just a void
Like the desert
Into which they drove.
Just a picture
Mailed from Kingman
California here we come
Goodbye.
Just four more
That drove off seeking adventure
On the highway west
Unprepared for the emptiness.
J. Binford-Bell
August 2011
Growing up in the Midwest, I knew good old Route 66 quite well! Your Magpie is one of my favorites this week!
ReplyDeleteThere were many! This is a delightful piece, full of nostalgia, life and lapses.
ReplyDeleteThe Box Brownie did it for me. I was born in 1953 but remember them being used. My goodness all those years came flooding back in this lovely piece.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, cute little details works brilliantly. For example, route 66, sharing costs of gas, and of course the photograph and postcard phrases.
ReplyDeleteReally nice poem!