It's Still Life

Recollections of the Washington State Fair

And as I recall,
the sunrise was the colour
of ripe cherries, and the clouds
drifted like woodstove smoke,
and Dad was shouting at us

Get a move on, the engine is running, and if you want to get a spot to park without walking for miles, we should’ve left an hour ago.

And as I recall,
Dad preferred to park his car
where nobody else would park
so no dings or pings in the door,
but some beat-up car always did.

He was proud of that car. Caribbean Sky Blue with a Cloud White roof. One of a kind because it was custom painted at the factory.

And as I recall,
my sister and I fell into each other’s
space on the back seat. Fell deep
into sleep, into cold war dreams
from the radio’s subliminal messages.

So Dad parked the car at…