Money

The night I saw his pickup parked beside that
darkened house at 5th and Chester
I went home and swept my arm across his dresser
And his trophies, softball signed by Springsteen,
for Christ's sake, a Little Mermaid lamp
Framed photograph of me, a set of tags and collar
for a Boston Terrier named Champ
Who disappeared in '93, and a boomerang shaped ashtray
full of ticket stubs from Tiger Stadium and the Skydome
All went crashing to the floor.
It was an unexpectedly satisfying moment.
"Oh look", I said out loud, "Behold a shrine to the glory
that was Fred 'the Sled' 'Stiletto' Baxter"
And then I packed a few things in the laundry bag
and took the westbound highway out of town.
I didn't leave a note. I didn't think I had to.

When you told me, honey, you'd love me forever
was your money on the end of the world?
Were you running like the road went on forever,
were you betting on it ending?

I found a furnished room for forty-seven bucks a week
and rented it from Helen Carrothers
Who said she'd borne seven children but the one
she loved the best died as a baby while the others
Bursting with good health outgrew their clothes, learned to
talk back, tracked mud across her rugs in high priced shoes
Stayed out late and wrecked their cars and married badly
and once they were gone she rented out the rooms.
Mine had been Joe Junior's and was done in red, white and blue.
It had a view into the second story kitchen
of a seven story tenement
So on the third day when Joe Junior showed up
with a suitcase and a beagle named Ramona
I was glad to give him back his room and take a refund
on the rent.

When you told me, honey, you'd love me forever
was your money on the end of the world?
Were you running like the road went on forever,
were you betting on it ending?

When my right front tire blew out just past the turnoff for LaSalle
I coaxed her to the shoulder and the first car passing
stopped to help
It was a guy named Gordon in a two-tone Pontiac
who said he was a poet and then proved it
while I ratcheted the jack against the undercarriage
By reading me an epic poem he'd written
on the theme of good and evil
called "The Song of Gord and Eva"
based on the true story of his own failed marriage.
Poetic license, he said, her name was really Evelyn
And then he read aloud with the unflinching histrionic flair
of the profoundly drunk
And about the time good triumphed over evil
in a consequential and bombastic way
I ratcheted the jack down and tossed the old tire in the trunk.

When you told me, honey, you'd love me forever
was your money on the end of the world?
Were you running like the road went on forever,
were you betting on it ending, oh yeah?

As I kicked up gravel on the shoulder and
accelerated on the blacktop
shifted up to speed and joined the wave of traffic flowing
I think I understood for the first time in my life
that I really don't know where I am going

When you told me, honey, you'd love me forever
was your money on the end of the world?
Were you running like the road went on forever,
were you betting on it ending, oh yeah?

©2000 Annie Gallup