We, the ones with high numbers,
outrank nearly everything and everyone these days,
even though it’s not in our best interest
given the pending shortages of
affordable resources and good
company –the kind that still looks into
eyes vs. screens.
I’m here.
Me and that noise in my head,
always available,
day or night,
especially at 3 a.m.
Magical how well all that runs,
even when my battery is low.
Battery talk gets me to Luther,
my car.
I am grateful for Luther’s stability
at 168,000 miles.
Great company.
I bet the dealership would be so crabby
since I’m sure they expected to see me again
prior to their untimely demise.
And the numbers of older timers outrank
lower legions and we have
better foundations than the
newer hi-end electric versions
of things and people.
And of course I have AAA.
On a little card,
squeezed into my wallet,
along with the ones running loose
at the bottom of my purse and in the
glove compartment,
as well as my license and our insurance cards
in case either one of us has an accident,
like a flat tire, or an engine fire,
or dead battery
or brake failure just ahead
of a cliff,
or choking in a restaurant
or a sudden drop in blood pressure
or no ability to stop crying,
if my hands lock on the steering wheel
due to arthritis having an event of its own,
or the feet burning so much
I’m not sure if they’re on the gas or the brake,
or the noise overtaking my brain at speeds
I have never achieved or
the tinnitus, which modulates what I hear
so I am never sure whether to be afraid
or laugh,
or I break a tooth because they’re
locked together so tightly
due to the fear of surviving or dying.
I cannot tell which is worse at this point.
Meanwhile, I’m opening the sunroof
so the stars can see us
and turning up the volume on
The Grateful Dead.
No doubt
Luther and I will get it right.
