Michigan by car

inspired by chris bathgate...

Born in the state of the sign of love
A new family travels to the hand of the Americas
The thumb of the Midwest
Over apposable bridges
Through fog and blinding sun
Until they smelled the familiar Detroit air
We traveld down 94 to kalamazoo
To a new house the men would paint blue

So our new family
Wrote on every wall
We wrote the names and the places of everything we love
Drew maps to the places we’ve been and will go
On every wall that we owned

And the trees we planted when my brother was born
Are now taller than the second house that my family has owned
And soon my brother will be old enough to leave from the nest
And all that I can think about is how I’m almost too old to keep living like this
How I find myself wishing I could always be 6,
Because back then I was so much more innocent,
The days and nights, life was just bliss
But lately I never seem to get enough rest
so when I finally get a minute to myself
I say “sleep brent, Sleep for years”
Or “dream brenty, dream of someplace distant”
Or “drink brenty, drink to forget”
Or ‘puff brenty boy, puff and reflect”
Of the people and places and all the events
That you’ve seen and been to this weekend
So when you go home and see your name scribed in the bible
From the minister in 5^th grade when he saw your potential
You’ll loosen up, let your head relax
You just need some encouragement, you’re a source of constant improvement
But when I dream I see the trees still smaller than myself
And the chicken wire fence, freshly framed in the ground
Tied around the tree trunks to help them grow strong

And of the

White picket walls that went up all across town
Weeds were wiped from everyones lawn
Flowers flourished not far from fountains as
Babies grew bigger; measured by the marks in the wall and
Suburban city centers became crowded with families
Looking lovely as always while fulfilling their fantasies
White picket walls, my well wedded wife
Are what dreams are made of in our American life.

Hold my hand, Write on every wall
Write the names and the places of everything you love
Draw the maps to the places you’ve been and will go in search of
On every wall we own, lets draw pictures of doves
And we’ll put them in our families Christmas cards
And the once tiny trees planted in my backyard
We’ll carve our names in all of them, my love