There’s something about long drives in the dark of winter
Something almost unreal about them
Or maybe that’s just me.
The road ahead illuminated only by the headlights
Such low visibility, it feels like you’re at a disadvantage
That you don’t have much control
Anything could appear.
In the distance, forested mountains spun with mist
You could easily imagine something lurking
Just out of sight.
And the occasional car now and again along the frozen highway
Maybe a body at the side of the road
A deer that put too much faith in it’s chances
A squirrel just trying to bury one more acorn before the snow
Or something you move past too quickly to make out what it is, exactly.
Inside the car, in the passenger’s seat, my fingers are still cold
As the heat hasn’t been on long enough for them to warm up.
There’s a CD in, playing in the background
Audible over the sound of the tires against the road
A little hard to make out when we hit the rough patches
Bump, bump-bump, bump.
Other than that, we sit in silence,
Waiting to arrive at our destination.
M - 1/04/19