Moonshine

Despite the cloudless state of the heavens,
An unmistakable smell of pending snowfall prevails.
I know not what provoked that left turn onto
This nameless back road, save my itinerant thoughts.
Could I have been more careless in not assessing
The contents of the trunk in the last two years?

What I would give for a spare tire and
The comforting warmth of my own bed at this moment...

Mea culpa
Why am I always thinking in sarcastic tongues?

At least forty miles from everything, I appraise the
Option of bunking in the car to await rescue,
Then tarry not in zipping my jacket before beginning
My foolhardy trek into the darkness of the beyond.
The night panders an eerie silence, compounding
Forgotten fears that threaten to rise up in untimely rebellion.

I whistle, attempting to dissuade their efforts

A faint light in the distance affects a loosening of my nerves
Until it is partially obscured by a motionless silhouette.
My sudden intake of icy air burns my lungs, and I muffle a cough
Into my scarf, trying not to attract attention prematurely.

The next eighty-seven steps are forced, though I long for
An effectual remedy to my current predicament.

My pulse quickens with the reverberation of his greeting,
Although my mother’s voice blares a warning inside my frozen head.
I’m suddenly agog to discover the source of this calming voice.

Once perched by his Buck Stove, I offer a lame rendition
Of the evening’s events, omitting the highlights of my cowardice.

His eyes are moody sapphires.

I sip the liquid fire hesitantly, noting the intricate floral pattern near
The rim of the cup while my thumb studies the chip in its handle.
He moves a bit of my hair away from my reddening face
With a softness I cannot recall ever having encountered.

The emulsion created by chemistry and curiosity
Is undoubtedly temptation.

I consider myself stranded until further notice.

Copyright 2017, Tina Jordan All Rights Reserved

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