“Monroe County Line” by L. Ward Abel

The highway
two lane
cracked
rippled by
august and
january

follows along
the old railroad
line between
macon and
atlanta
parallel

a car holds
talk
words about
coming to
terms
about flight

there’s a song
on the philco
tuned heavy
with bass it
stops
conversation

she bites her
perfect lip
at the thought
of solitude
at the thought
of touch

he keeps driving
all the while
not knowing how
he’ll
find his way
back.

---

L. Ward Abel is a poet, composer and performer of music, teacher, and lawyer who lives in rural Georgia. He has been published hundreds of time in print and online and is the author of Peach Box and Verge (Little Poem Press, 2003), Jonesing For Byzantium (UK Authors Press, 2006), The Heat of Blooming (Pudding House Press, 2008), Torn Sky Bleeding Blue (erbacce-Press, 2010), and the forthcoming American Bruise (Parallel Press).