visions of the west

concrete replaces cobblestones nuclear plants funded the extinction of the windmill vacant faces all heading somewhere just as long as we’re leaving home drunk on driving for countless nights of staring at the yellow lines and passing lights green signs give us names and numbers pass us by between the static and the 8-track classic country ballads of simple cowboys fill our hearts traded our saddles for bucket seats midnight advertisements full of dazzling escapades just a few miles down the line frontier is dead all its babies circumcised baptized in blood of chinese spanish mexican indian and of course the well honored anglo saxon casualties first communion black hills gold designate the god father las vegas designate the god mother hollywood if we ever get to a big city we'll chase around the ambulance all night trade in the 2002 model porsche for a 1960’s t-bird for 1900’s model-t for any old jalopy that will take us there this is the economy of transportation need all the oil we can get to tour this feed this sustain this great big wondrous nation right through the arch the gateway to the west fast food for your hunger collect each and every friendship medal of louis & clark 50¢ for a happy meal in a paper bag to go let's see how far this flat tire will take us break down at mount rushmore 4 good ole faces slave owners political pugilists honored in sacrosanct standardized texts siesta at noon in the dusty old motel room with the fake bull horns hanging on the wall salt lake city san francisco phoenix omaha topeka albuquerque houston denver austin grand canyon yellow stone all recorded on kodak camera red faced tourists with straw hat & shades standing under each welcome sign for the sake of bragging to the neighbors if we ever go back but for now there’s always the hope of blowing eastern life into some tumbleweed town founding a cantina building a great oasis in the southwest corner of s dakota renovate and revitalize and capitalize on the bones of some quaint culture sell a few tickets let folks come watch a blue blooded actor play custer erect a monument to big paul bunyan straddling the city limits send babe to packing town make some fodder to feed the tourists tempted to visit by brochures and telemarketers bringing more of our own kin into the fold in the only place we dare to dream manufacturing a postcard of the west the way we imagined it would be send it to each and every lost friend & relation we’ll never see Written April 19th, 2002 © on Apr 19 2002 03:52 AM PST   18 • 0 • 12