OCTOBER 2010

cumberland farms, north adams
1 bike
1 slushie
2 am
6 miles from home
78 cents in change

you've heard home is where the art is,
so is MASS MoCA home?
with it's upside down trees?
this whole town is on it's knees.

sitting on a curb somewhere, smelling the cold in the air,
your teeth still ache from 13 separate fillings,
one month old.
was august 31 not the day before yesterday?
you feel like you're in springfield but you cant hear I-91
which could bring you home if you wanted it to.

because you've heard home is where the start is,
and there's a liquor store on the corner of sisson ave
and a place to park by MPS,
and a boxcar racer cd in your glovebox.

so it's sunday morning after a long friday night
leave quickly before 8 before anyone wakes up
snow fell overnight, clear skies, brush off your car, squint your eyes,
it's not so bad to be alive.

4 hours later standing on the steps, the snow is melting,
spring is coming, the end is beginning.

you've heard home is where the part is-
that you long for, but can't have
because once you leave you can't go back.