POEM - Cookies are Good, Music is Better

The back seat of the Pinto

Held me and my sister

Awash in the rare morning sun

Shining down on a stunning Oregon landscape

Well, not exactly stunning

As this particular bridge

Skirting the Columbia River

Showing more of industrial development

Than natural preservation

As the long flowing arc of the freeway

Gave us a spotlighted view

Of several warehouse districts

We made our way to the Oroweat store

To get second hand bread

And,

      fingers crossed,

peanut butter cookies

My favorite with the little divot in the middle

Still hanging on to the last wisps

Of that wonderful bread store smell

With the desired cookie in hand

The sky still showing signs of staying sunny

We were all in a good mood

Heading back across the industrial bridge

Mom flipped on the AM radio

Pushed in the long black selector rod

The dial jumped to the music station

Wonderful 70’s pop flowed from the speaker

I remember that moment

It was when I woke up to music

It started to mean something important

As The Wings sang about silly love songs

I understood that this song was special

That I need to hear more

That cookies may be wonderful

But this song was better

I can’t remember if I finished eating

But I remember the song

And how the sun looked different

As it shone on the new road ahead

Lighting the path to a journey of sound

Opened my ears

And tuned my senses