Gas & Oil
a faded white
& red Esso sign
hanging
from chains
on a rusted pole
sent
me back
to my childhood when Dad,
would come home late, weary,
smelling
of gas & oil --
a smell
so strong that
as I drove along in this
quiet town
I rolled the window down,
closed my eyes
to try & tell if the smell
was only in
my mind.
Copyright © Michael
Estabrook, 2007