Week #5—Improv

Topography
                by Sharon Olds

After we flew across the country we
got into bed, laid our bodies
delicately together, like maps laid
face to face, East to West, my
San Francisco against your New York, your
Fire Island against my Sonoma, my
New Orleans deep in your Texas, your Idaho
bright on my Great Lakes, my Kansas
burning against your Kansas, your Kansas
burning against my Kasas, your Easter
Standard Time pressing into my
Pacific Time, my Mountain Time
beating against your Central time, your
sun rising swiftly from the right my
sun rising swiftly from the left your
moon rising slowly from the left my
moon rising slowly from the right until
all four bodies of the sky
burn above us, sealing us together,
all our cities twin cities,
all our staes united, one
nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

            Automania

After we left the restaurant we

got into our cars, drove them

side-by-side, like race cars speeding

to the finish line, bumper to bumper, my

Toyota Sienna against your Mazda RX-7, your

5-speed transmission against my automatic, my

heated leather seats burning your black buckets, your Sirius

music loud on my NPR news, my speed

gaining your speed, your speed

gaining my speed, your

GPS system navigating my

DVD player, my CD player

blasting your Bluetooth, your

tires blazing on the left my

tires blazing on the right your

alloys glinting from the left my

alloys glinting from the right until

all eight wheels on the road

burn beneath us, melting us in sync,

both our actions dual actions,

both our egos fused, one

race, unwinnable, due to speed trap dead ahead.