Cast-off skin of a retread, rubber exuvia
I saw it for weeks on the side of the road
Perfectly posed so it looked like an injured cat
Regardless of the direction you were traveling
I said that it was a tire that had assumed a catlike shape
So that, in death, it might get the one thing that had eluded it in life
A hug. Human contact. Empathy for its fate. Love.
My wife told me this made her sad
It made me sad too
So I beg your pardon if you see me
Smeared with road grime
Hugging a tire
They deserve love too
Even if their plight is not real

  • Like what you see? Purchase a print or ebook version!
Advertisement