Quit a job I loved
They were so surprised, not I
Love was new and raw.

Packed a few belongings in,
The back of his brown station wagon
Headed for Colorado.

February 4, 1974
Rocky Mountain High
Traveling across I-70

Baltimore, Maryland to Boulder, Colorado.

Winter all the way
Kansas stretched flat forever
Unseen in a vast white snowstorm.

Vacancy sign flashing
Oakley, Kansas, that caused a laugh
Time to settle down and catch some warmth.

Questionable motel, uninviting
But kind innkeeper
Yes, we’ll take a room, seven dollars.

Dusty bed spread
Coin box reads 25 cents for vibration
Another laugh
We shake loose our change
Placing quarters on the night stand.

Thread bare towels
What’s behind this door?
A sauna! It’s clean!

Shed my wrinkled jeans and shirt
Showered quickly
Green mold on tub floor
Don’t care.

And lie down in the sauna
To feel its warmth
Cool shower
Quarter in the coin box.

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