Are we there yet?

Today, I am the child sitting in the back seat of a car on a journey to a place undisclosed by the driver. I jitterbug my legs, anxious to be set free from the confines of the speeding steel box hugging the blackened asphalt curves wending round oldgrowth pines, oaks, birch and aspen, the double yellow lines in the center of the road intermittently broken on one side of the other to indicate where a driver might pass.

There are no other drivers to pass or following the road in the opposite direction. That give some allowance to cut some curves, bisect them as we speed forward to places unknown.

But I just want to arrive.

”Are we there yet?” It is not the first time or last time the question has been asked. I wince, dreading the question as it is uttered, for I hate hearing it as much as I hate asking it.

No one replies. There is no one to reply. The car drives on.

I wish we could just arrive, for I am tired of this drive and am torn between wanting to run and laugh at the other end and just wanting to find a soft place to rest my head and cry. Boys don’t cry, so I will hide the tears as gemstones buried into the folds of the soft space and pretend those are treasures that will find refrain on your lips when you discover them after I am gone.


10 responses to “Are we there yet?”

  1. lodestarwytch Avatar

    Poignant writing here Michael….so much emotion held here…💕

  2. The Creative Chic Avatar

    Oh gosh, this had me all choked up “Boys don’t cry, so I will hide the tears as gemstones buried into the folds of the soft space and pretend those are treasures that will find refrain on your lips when you discover them after I am gone.”

    1. michael raven Avatar

      Thank you Jennifer 💕

  3. The Creative Chic Avatar

    It’s always my pleasure 💕

  4. chrisnelson61 Avatar

    Wow, this is a wonderful piece, Michael. The entire piece stands both as a metaphor and as pure prose. Excellent writing.

    1. michael raven Avatar

      Thanks, Chris. With continuing practice, one of these day I might write pretty. 😆

  5. Veselin Avatar

    Feels like “are we there yet” is an universal developmental milestone for both parents and children. A way to improve everyone’s patience

    1. michael raven Avatar

      Yeah, I’m not quite at that developmental stage. 🤣

      Sometimes I get impatient. It is a failing on my part.

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