Roads

When my cousin was 19, I promised her a poem or short story of sorts as a 20th birthday present. (Yes, I prefer home made gifts, though we all know store bought ones are much faster! Haha) So, even though I'm a few years late (whoops) I decided that I should probably just get around to it. So Lyndsay, I wrote this in the form of a shoulder to lean on. I hope it will bring you comfort whenever your stumbling through the journey of life.

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Roads

The best aspect of a road is the adventure or familiarity they can portray

Roads to new lives or new people
A road to one's favorite spot, another that leads to home sweet home
Whether these paths are straight or topsy-turvy
Smooth as ice cold water or pothole boulevard
We travel with the knowing of a pleasant arrival
Using maps for some
Memory for others

But for every rainbow, there is also the storm.
It's how the world was constructed
Even all these roads

Roads on the sides of cliffs
Covered in snow
Plastered in mud
And even though we gotta get to where we gotta go
We're gripping the steering wheel and controlling cartwheels in our stomachs

Then there's the endless ones.
The ones that you drive down for hours and hours
Looking side to side, Driving through towns
Or maybe driving through nothing at all

Just fields upon fields
Nodding off from the dullness of your surroundings
Perhaps stuck with thoughts you've been pushing to the back of your mind
Coaxed out from the lack of stimulation around you

There's the dips you can't see and the weather you can't predict
People walking in and out of view
So you have to keep swerving and swerving
Braking and braking
The urge to pull over and rest
Call someone to drive the rest of way, or just come pick you up.
Maybe the desire to lock the doors and just walk away

All the people you call for help
The ones you just need to hear "It'll be alright, just keep on keepin' on" from
Others who you've called to come fix your car or change a tire
In the end you realize who will go the extra mile for you
And the ones who simply make excuses or ignore the call

With all of these uncertainties and insecurities,
It's a wonder we don't all board up our windows
Sell our cars
Turn in our shoes for slippers
But there's moments that make even the worst roads bearable

Turning the volume up on old-time favorites
Falling asleep in the passenger's seat, the wind teasing your cheeks and the sun keeping you warm
Waking up to nature conditioned hair and a California tan
Classic games like slug bug and I spy,
Kids laughing, pointing out silly stuff they spy outside the window

I spy, I spy
A bright shiny sun on the horizon, as blinding and hot as you like it
Kids sleeping in the backseat
Listening to the songs that have made so many memories for the both of us
Looking out the window, as trees make way for the barren fields of California
Holding the hand of the man you love

I spy, I spy
Rainy weather and a depressed looking sky
Bags of clothes hanging out in duffel bags
Rocking out to ACDC
Drinking cup upon cup of coffee
Leading me to the forested border of  Oregon
Holding tight to thoughts of hugging you.

Sometimes these paths aren't what we've been expecting
The detours are mostly long, the two way streets far and inbetween
But.
No matter the bends or curves
Nights, Days, Bumps, or Dips
I know a road that will always be true
And that's the road between me and you.