Clean Start

Grateful to friends, old and new, who helped get me here.
Broken clutches, wrong turns and new places to see along the way.
And now I’m at the ocean, no farther west to drive.

My Subaru’s dusty; windshield splattered with bugs.
Granola bar wrappers on the floor, and the tank is dry.
That part of the road is a safe memory, nestled in my mind.

Can’t see to steer through the glare of the California sun
in my filthy mirrors.
Must be time to stop looking back in that direction.

Worried occasionally about finding my way.
But thrilled to be in this place, to be here.
Where I can make some new recollections.

GPS constantly telling me to ‘reroute’
as I want to get there safe
but I want to see what the bright lights are down this other street.

Jacket on and off
as I go in and out of the shade.
Learning to deal with the chill and the heat.

Wanting to stand out
in this brave, ‘new-to-me’ world
and still find my place in the mix.

Not sure where to start.
Guess it’s nothing a fill up
and a good car wash can’t fix.