Eeeeeeeeeegghhh!!!

(circa 1988)
 
My Nyack College room-mate Dan,
sporting his Magnum P.I. mustache,
and I have finished our honest day of work
house painting for Rockland Painting,
whose theme song is the circus song.
We sit in our white shorts and white painting tee
shirts covered in multi-speckled paint splattering.
 
Dan, the starting quarterback
from his Buffalo NY High School team,
and my skinny self looking like Larry Bird,
the Boston Celtic basketball forward.
 
I drive down the ¾  a mile long highway hill,
chatting with the roomie
in my light green 1973 Chevy Impala
as big as a whale
complete with a V8 gas guzzling engine.
The drive from the factory to home
can be the best part of the day.
 
“Blah, blah, blah….”
 
“Jim, there is a traffic light coming up.”
 
“Blah, blah, blah…..”
 
“Jim,  there is a traffic light coming up!”
 
“Blah, blah, blah….”
 
“JIM,  RED LIGHT!!!!”
 
Eeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrgghhhhhhhhhh!!!
 
The green whale brakes slam
like a cheetah digging in her four pawed feet
just as she hits the 50 mile per hour mark.  
 
The next four seconds of tire screeching skid
leaving a 10 foot tire mark
and a smoke cloud of burning rubber
for the other drivers and passengers
to gawk at and whiff.
 
Sitting and waiting
for the light to change to green,
the other commuters give a self-righteous stare
as if the veil of the Elephant Man has been lifted.
 
The light changes back to green, 
 
“Blah, blah, blah.”