I Was Never There
Traveling this lonely highway,
occasional headlights
the only break in the darkness,
I count oncoming white lines
as they flash before me,
pass beneath me, each one
as familiar to me as the numbers
on my dash that measure my progress.
My surroundings may be
hidden by the darkness,
but I’m not lost. I’ve traveled
this road so many times
that every curve wraps itself
around me. The rumble strip
knows my name, warns me
when the siren of sleep beckons.
Longing to reach the other end,
I wonder if the road is all there is.
Am I meant to be anywhere
but where I am, passed by mile marker
after mile marker, the road passing
beneath me while I remain
stationary, one more element
in the night, yet never really there?
This is my response to Poetics: Are you listening? – the prompt from Merril at dVerse ~ Poets Pub, which is to write a poem that uses two titles from a provided list of podcasts, keeping all words in order and changing only punctuation, if necessary. My poem includes “Rumble Strip” and “Not Lost.” Also, I’ve used another podcast title, “I Was Never There,” as my title.
rivrvlogr 
Safe travels, Brother, even if you’re not moving and the road is.
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Thanks, Ron..
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You’ve captured such a feeling of anomie here. These “lost highways” are not a place to dwell in for long.
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Destination always in mind.
Thank you, Lisa.
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You’re welcome, Ken.
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Oh, this is so good, Ken.
And I realize why there are so many podcasts, stories, movies of people on long car/truck rides.
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Thank you, Merril. 🙂
And thanks for the prompt.
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You’re very welcome, Ken. 🙂
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An evocative “highway” poem, very well done.
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Thank you.
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This poem felt like all those interminable drives up I-95 from southern Virginia to northern Vermont–and back again.
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Mile after mile. Sometimes they pass like nothing. Other times they seem interminable.
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A great use of the prompt, Ken! Recalling that you were an over the road trucker, this is a great reflection of those days!
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Thanks!
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These are night thoughts. and the road intensifies them. (K)
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Nice job with the prompt.
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Dreamlike and haunting to me. A cool poem, Ken. Well done!
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I was tempted to use that line as my title and am glad I didn’t as it fits your poem better. I’ve never driven on an American highway, only on a British motorway, which is very different. But I have watched films and read books that gave me an idea of what it would be like. Your poem has brought it to life for me, Ken. My favourite lines:
‘but I’m not lost. I’ve traveled
this road so many times
that every curve wraps itself
around me…’
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Those endless roads through the night often feel like you are somewhere else, stationary in limbo between somewhere and nowhere.
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Yes!
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Great take on the prompt Ken and very atmospheric 🙂
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🙂 Thank you.
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You have and adventurers soul Ken, a wanderer soul. I always enjoy reading your work, and this is no exception. Well done my friend.🙂✌🏼❣️
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Thank you, brother.
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“I wonder if the road is all there is. Am I meant to be anywhere but where I am” … brought tears to my eyes, Ken. A lovely write. Happy New Year.
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Thank you, Helen.
Happy New Year!
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Your poem reads like a ride into the liminal spaces where you’re at a sensory threshold. I felt like I was floating… not really there. Loved this Ken!
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🙂 Thank you, Colleen.
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