night ride mountain

    I

The Night We Rode Through the Green Mountains

  “Boys and girls, come out to play,
  The moon is shining bright as day.”
      Mother Goose

Past midnight
You drove
Up
Toward the high bright moon
Through rising mist

  You drove
  I practiced ignoring ghosts
  You drove
  Everything in your hands now
  You drove
  I anticipated endings

 Can we outrun ghosts?
 Can we run them down?

You flicked the headlights OFF
Sent us flying up the dark
You drew the moonlight in
Dared me

You asked
Was I frightened? Was I thrilled?
Both, I said.
Can’t it be both?

    II


night ride mountain

furnace       heart
not       light
moon       highbeam
off       up
ghost no ghost
   dare.
After -
   inquire
answer
   inquire
answer.
      Equal.