good-bye to open sky, cactus in my eye
waves of sage, joshua trees & yucca
streets lined with days-eyes, sunflower-yellow

we are cover girls (not that kind) holy
roller tumble past Hoover Dam
sing spring in. conglomerates. no stops required for
right turns. lanes shift. safety first. do not pass. reduce

speed. past the MGM Grand. signs “trust me you can sing” alcohol.
a margarita equals a fruit a day. beef, booze and brothels.
prison areas. hitchhiking forbidden.

colors daydream, push through cherry-blossom cloud
sink in pink. last night i could not turn myself off. desire pummelled
out of my body. my brain is not up to it. knees to knees. bum to tum. breathe
into backs. loose & relax.

‘words are blows’ mz. queyras writes.
we are afraid to press the tv button on
road-weary. a semi rev’s. butts in. gasp.
steel myself. pahrump. rv’s bruise the horizon.
under the sky, monochrome / aluminum

in Over Creek
everyone should have their lights on.
i am uncomfortable with slow drivers.
i am a boiling pot. cringe. smash n’ pass
i don’t like cars that drive too close to us

i feel we will be sucked in under them
& when you open your legs, sunglasses.
we play tug-a-war, are women-at-war with a shrunken mattress cover
& the two hundred american we have lost
in the Tonapah Station

something’s afoot. reset the odometer & the sir-charge on gas
a truck on the highway. we stop for directions. yikes. he’s peeing. wait.
too late. his j. cash shirt. a handy diversion. cat-flirts
i am in addis ababa as we fire past the Top Gun Drag Strip

where we forget to look out the window
& feed our inner bear at the Black Bear Diner. ketchup time
take our eyes outside
my slim jim & jerky dangle from my pocket
dog licks her cud, sucks ‘em back
that bad news bear