Ozark Woman

to Patti

I never saw anything until i saw her in Dinosaur City. All my changes were there, like Neil Young said. If magic could be in anybody, it would have to be in her.

No matter where she came from, some said the ozarks, someplace. 

in missouri’s backward backwoods, amidst junkyard battered truck shells and stacked wrecks, chained and chaotic rottweilers and pitbulls barking and snarling through chainlink fences she walked those roads in a pretty blue, white polka dotted dress.

I never wanted all she had to give, she reserved some of it for the long haul because where she came from, life comes in only bits and pieces, hard and sweet like rock candy, so i followed her from there to this god forsaken place where She Didnt’ believe in sin nor heaven but hoped there was a hell for those who made living harder for others, more than it should be.

When she walked she flowed smooth and cool like a fresh mountain brook, arms swinging, snapping fingers loose, music free, like she is going to break out in song, sayin hello like i was the first time she ever saw something beautiful, liked what she was thinking she might want to do with me, and had already began a dream with me in it.

It was just a few short hops, high tics, and quick tocs after that, a twenty four hours a day call of duty with all hands on deck and nothing to sway us from going anywhere we imagined.