of Cain’s Mayonnaise, circa 1975
Powder blue Porsche
both delicate and racy
for small town roads
speed limit sign,
30 miles per hour
certainly restricts this car.
Cotton-soft light blue color
obscures a fast-car image,
streaks from rotary, revs the circle
up to the gasoline pump,
hi-test, of course.
Meek attendant opens the fill,
inserts chrome and black hose –
too filthy for this car, places an
almost clean blue rag under the hose.
Owner stands perfunctory, provides
just enough presence to provoke my
tremulous young hand, face blanched white
I watch numbers flip slowly until the click.
My standard blue rag declined for drips, replaced
by owner’s white cotton cloth, he polishes
the now closed fill cover, attendant
left standing with a five dollar tip.
Blue car like a cloud, dissipates in smoky hum,
disregards the dusty speed limit sign.
