The Car and I

I’m really tired of life
it’s like in The Old Man and the Sea
he’s tired of cooking the rice
eating the rice
taking out the boat
which gets harder every year
I got cars not boats
always had old cars
One guy says, “You got to keep it up,
wax and polish, detail the leather!”
I like it shiny
but shiny never lasts
there’ll always be
scratches, dents and stains
on a man too
Now, it’s 1am on Hwy 29
rain turning to ice
on a road studded
with crucifixes
winding through the cold woods
and the car is almost
as tired
as I am.

Jon Bennett has had several hundred stories and poems published in the small presses and is also a singer-songwriter. He has one book of poems, Leisure Town, and one science fiction novel, Solar Maniac, available on Amazon. A second novel titled The Unfat is currently out of print. His songs can be found on most streaming sites, and a new album, Glorious, should be available in late 2026. He is based in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood.