Gratuitous Dread Presence

Blues for a Kid in the Snow

So I guess it’s not going to be so cold today
and maybe the snow will melt away
the nice police man has gone away
my mom told me the judge ended the fight
and I’m supposed to stay with my dad tonight
but when he comes they will start to yell
yell and yell and yell.

So I stare into the gray sky
and wonder what I did wrong
that made my life come tumbling down
made me realize that I’m alone
with new conditions on the love I’ve known

I hope it's not going to be so cold today.

Manual Transmission

You start the motor and hear the purr of the engine
and you have given life to the dead metal in your driveway
belching smoke and promising energy at the whims
of your fingertips tempered by the strength in your arms.

You depress the clutch and slam it into gear
hearing the teeth gnash in unloving pain
so you can go faster then G-d ever intended.

You are in control as you speed down the highway
throwing the car into higher gear
to satiate your desire for speed
feeling as if you are in total control
an illusion brought on by manual transmission.