Parallel elements

Straight Ahead

I.

In the morning

Before sunrise

I am two, insecure, tears

Dripping on naugahide

Backseat, AMC Hornet, howling

Hard slippery cream bench

Through Garden Grove streets

Collarbone-broken mad, pajamad

Mommy!  Radio.  Mommy!

Radio ‘71 wail red lights

In the morning, eyeing

Straight ahead, Mommy, steering

II.

In the afternoon

At Malibu beach

I am ten, in the sand,

Ticklish as Grandma’s feet

Sun soaked sand against cool blown skin

Pouring sand.  Into swim trunks, hot sand

Shyly in the shore silence

Before the shame of waves

Sand, arousing sand

Shivers and sand, ‘79 sand

In the afternoon, eyeing

Straight ahead, Grandma, staring