9. Drive [100 poems challenge]

9.          Drive

Some days the destination is all that matters,
For others the journey itself,
But for most trips it’s both.
It’s a long way there and a long way back
For meetings shorter than the drive
Bringing its necessity into question;
But I go, sometimes alone,
Singing along to favourite tracks,
Harmony my coffee substitute.
Vistas change: the verge a blur,
The further hills move slower
But remain elusive too.
Guideposts loom then trail in my wake,
The distance markers count downwards
And tempting turn-offs are left behind.
Past the bushrangers and topiary
And the house that no longer disappears
Since the highway moved;
Then, destination reached (a few minutes late),
It’s down to business before turning around
And heading back again.

29 April 2013

Comments: I’m not particularly happy with this one. It’s a bit too much like a similarly themed poem I wrote back in 1984, even though I tried to ignore its echoes as I tackled this one. The problem, however, is that the drives haven’t changed much, although the older poem was about drives with friends to Church young adult activities whereas this one is about trips mostly done on my own. As part of my work I have to travel to Launceston, which is about 2.5 hours from Hobart. This takes a big bite out of the day (and even out of a week), and is especially draining if it’s just a day return trip for a short meeting. As it happens, I actually don’t mind the drive … but I do begrudge the time. Ironically, today — the day I posted the poem (having written it 11 days ago) — I had a 3.5 hour drive to Penguin with work friends for a maths teachers’ conference.

Themes to come: 10. Breathe Again; 11. Memory; 12. Insanity; 13. Misfortune; 14. Smile

Explanation about the 100 poems challenge here.