
“Blue Pick Up” — C.Birde, 4/19
Brand new.
Gleaming metallic
cobalt blue.
Huge.
Need a step-ladder
to climb into
the cab,
then swallowed up
inside.
Steering wheel,
too big to wrap fingers
around.
The dashboard
overwhelms –
glowing instrument
cluster;
winking lights;
scrolling message
screen.
Buttons and
knobs and
toggle switches.
Toobigtoobigtoobig.
Can’t.
Nope.
“Sure you can.”
Easy for him
to say.
He’s huge.
Six feet?
Seven?
Overalls and
cap.
Name stitched
in red over
his heart.
What
does he know
about who
can do
what?
“First thing you do,”
he says,
“is check
your mirrors.”
Don’t know how…
“I’ll walk ‘round.
Tell me when you
see me.”
…
Flash
of white sleeve
spied
in the driver’s side
mirror.
…
…
Top of cap’s
blue-cloth button appears
in rearview.
…
…
…
Ginger beard
sighted
in passenger’s.
Back again from
circumnavigation,
he leans elbows on
the door’s edge.
“Geez…. “ he says,
shakes his head.
“Your mirrors
are way
off.”
Great.
“Here.
I’ll show you how
to adjust
them.”
…
…
…
Thank
you?
— C.Birde, 4/19