Driving Up the Sacramento

Driving Up the Sacramento

& you as remote now as that range
Radiating heat not holding it
The buttes rainstormed but instant dryers
i remember you like opera

ive a hitchhiker but he wont talk
i keep radioing words to you
but what to say you’d really like?
o luvalee the peach & almond petals? Sure
but it’s too late in the springs now dear tease
ive left ploughed earth & the green ricefields behind
revved thru towns with dusty palms
yes damn you im up thru spidery almonds
no more wine & oranges
into hot canyons between bare yellow
breasts of hill something vulgar
about the landscape as well as me
or is it just this jalopy’s had it?
my conrods clank
the rad’s jerked off again
will i ever make vancouver?

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my hitch decided no
got out at the last crossroad
& just passed
waving from a new studebaker
at me leaning against this robbers-roost garage
with time to telepath you something
while they screw in a new pump i dont need

carcar partmaintenancepassenger

well what’s to say? the view looks edible
peppered with black oaks
white barns for salt a saffron sunset
“there you go being physical again”
i can hear you well why not?
this goddamn sky’s one big red cherry now
& the sacramento’s a hairy crack
Between the white thighs of the liveoaks
& by geez if there aint a rock-prick
a-purplin up in all this stagey Eden

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but you’re not on my wavelength
& now the crate’s cooled
we'll sign off head on north
you said you hoped to see more of me in the fall
but will we ever fall together?
that would be really operatic.