Pacifiers and parking lots
Still don’t know who you are
But you know who you’re not
And that’s a start
Dirty diapers, dead-end dates
Rundown roads, working late
Down at the Mini-Mart
Freezing rain, slick black ice
Split-second turn
Didn’t look twice
And you spun out
Totaled car, barely a scratch
Doctor said, “someone up there’s got your back”
But luck runs out
Made you think of the time
When you were kid
Raffle at school
You bought a ticket
With your pocket change
To relieve the boredom
Won a brand new bike
And you tore through town
Hands in the air
Wind whistling all around
Was the sound of change
Was the sound of freedom
Scorching summer, steaming tar
Played you songs on his guitar
New boy in town
Car seat kisses, first cigarette
Moonlit movies, worn cassette
Playing homeward bound
Daring dreams, pithy plans
World unfurled inside his hands
You were moving fast
Cold coffee, cheap cafe
“I think I’m pregnant”
“It’ll be okay”
But his tone was flat
Made you think of the time
When you were kid
Raffle at school
You bought a ticket
With your pocket change
To believe in something
Raced straight home
On your brand new bike
Caught mom with a man
You didn’t know or like
She said: “honey, people change”
And you started running
And you never stopped
Pacifiers and parking lots
Last night you dreamt
You were speeding down the street
Whipping round the bend
Cutting through the sleet
Arms weightless in the air
Handlebars under your feet
Wind frozen in your hair
Racing heartbeat
Just kept going, didn’t stop
No pacifiers, no parking lots
Jeremy Koloski 