What Is Important
A poem by Stacy Parker

What Is Important

When sounds become one
That mechanical hum drone
Of engine, rattle, and road
My thoughts take leave
The present no longer place or time
Just the solid black line
Between points

Soft, faceless voices
Soft, faceless news
Radio misleading with calm
And gives me tips for roasting carrots
I can ignore

Now
A noise
Furniture dragging on concrete
The little road grooves scream

Reacting
My hands in a panic
Wrenching the steering wheel
My sport utility vehicle
Lacks utility
When rolling, rolling
Rolling off the highway

Waves of glass and metal
Crash into my head, my arms
But the pain is nowhere
When time checks out
Slow
And Careless
There is nothing to resist

Lurching to a stop
I am the center of gravity
A broken window
A hole in an oil can
I pour onto the ground
My limbs pile up
And find what still works

All of this
A funny way to tell my mother
I have a tattoo

About the Author:

Stacy Parker lives in Indianapolis with his wife, two cats, and the memory of the best dog that ever lived.  Originally from Natchez, Mississippi, Stacy moved to Indianapolis in 2015 with Hannah, where he finished his Bachelor’s Degree at Butler University.  He is 33 and that’s fine.  

Website: www.stacyhasfeelings.com

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