the open road
is no longer open
even if our imaginations
insist on it
being prepared for disappointment
is not the same
as folding up
your tent & resigning
to the uniformed paths
dished out to you
don't tell my dog
the grass isn't greener
down the highway
he knows & leaves
bullshit when he hears it
driving west on u.s. 2
to avoid sunrise
in your eyes
seems like a good enough
goal at this point
for every strip mall
forced upon you
there are still
scraps of poems
& wild woods
that demand
attention
move on
when ready
--- e b bortz
