Freshening Up
They put the new road
right on top of the old one,
spill blacktop on the street
and roll it smooth as if it
were paint, shiny, black.
Trouble is, in places we
can see the previous lane
markers, blacked out but
slightly raised from the road
like goosebumps or hives.
The fresh white paint insists
we drive between its lines,
but the way we used to drive
along this street still reaches
out to guide us. The road
can erase only so much of
itself. Even the newest batch
of drivers will notice how uneven
the road’s skin is, as their cars
push into the new road and
the roads living beneath it,
blacktop, brick, and dirt.
I thought there was going to be an image of deodorant and was surprised to see the white houses and read a poem about a new road with white painted lines. It's so true how we remember the old one.
ReplyDeleteGreat commentary on how what we see on the surface isn't necessarily what's beneath. I'm reminded, too, of that line about dressing up a pig... only to find it's still a pig.
ReplyDeleteI cannot comment why I like this so much but I do...I think freshening up is good....even if it does not manage to cover up the old Have a great one Hannah!
ReplyDeletehannah -
ReplyDeletei like earthy words to read.
tactile,
here is real stuff we use everyday.
we all know roads
it was fun to look with you.
- my favorite parts
for the sounds,
"blacked out but"
"the roadskin is"
I like knowing that pavement catches the eye of someone else. You turn it almost into allegory or fable, I think. I really like the controlling idea and images here, Hannah.
ReplyDelete