From: To Auburn

2
Going north to Seattle
through the wind and the rain
on I-5 north,
north -- ever, slowly, constantly north
Three poets in a blue mini van
heading out, away from Eugene

What I most love about the Willamette Valley
is the light--
the constantly changing light
filtering through clouds and hills
its angle always changing:
whites, greys;
a ray breaks through

and so we're going north
Violent Femmes on the radio
G.L. singing, Kevin patting his knee,
and me -- I'm looking at the clouds
and the hills and the light
and writing it all down

Snow on the trees at the very top
of some of the highest hills
clouds hanging down to just touch
the pine tree snow

Oregon mile marker 206
we pass the first rest area
and no one has to go
And Gordon is singing:
"Please, please, please do not go"
as we start to leave the Coburg Hills
behind Brian solos on bass
and suddenly it's a road trip!

I take a break from writing
so I can join in for just one chorus
and we're all singing it:
"Please, please, please do not go"
But we are going, going north
in a blue soccer mom mini van
three poets, Larry, and a refrigerator
singing old Femmes tunes
rain off in the distance,
to our left, but it almost looks
clear ahead

Mile post 213
and we're singing
"don't, don't, don't shoot that thing at me"

clouds scatter and the light changes
and the first real shadow I've
seen today appears on the break pedal
You need direct sunlight for real shadow!
Sun! Sun, coming in from behind
being blocked by Kevin's arm

And it comes like a prophet:
Get out of Eugene, and there will be sun!

©2001, by Neske.