the forward things are sometimes left behind

by David LaBounty

 

the car came in, a Buick

from ’89, and the brake

pedal was going to the

floor and there were

leaks everywhere, like

so much automotive

stigmata, so we ripped

the tires off and

the back brakes

crumbled at our feet

and the kid driving

the car was full of

piercings and homemade

tattoos and said the car

only cost two hundred

bucks and that he

was going to call

a junkyard to haul it

away because it would

take a grand to make

the car safe and right.

 

he left, the car was

pushed out and it

sat for a day

until he came to clean

it out, leaving

the car empty save

a little notebook

on the cigarette

burned front seat

and I couldn’t help

but flip through it

after he left as it

was full of notes like

 

postal exam on Thursday,

 

Applebees Tuesday, first interview

 

Wal-Mart, Bob, second interview Monday

 

and I had to wonder why

he left the notebook

behind, as it seemed

to contain important

details of hope

but then I

realized why he left

it behind,

because in this,

the Motor City,

 

you’ve got to have wheels

 

to get a job.

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