Pa’s Old Blue Truck
by Gail Denham

Pa loved that old truck,
nursed it through worn-out
tires, rebuilt transmissions,
fender dents, brakes wore
down to metal on metal,
hauled hay for cows, took
manure to neighbors’ gardens,
carried Ma’s produce to farmer’s
markets on Saturdays,
even replaced a steering
wheel once, when a couple
of us were out whooping
it up, driving back roads,
singing, having a nip,
taking a dare I could drive
with my feet, and probably
we didn’t need a whole
steering wheel; sawed off half,
drove on with best friend, Gerald,
sitting half out the window, yelling
at deer, daring coyotes
to join us in song.
Old truck spent its final days
as a landmark, sitting in a field
of long necked sunflowers,
blooming just for Pa.

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