LatinosUSA

Used cars, always about three-years-old.
A less-than-modest income ensured that,
but you always gave those cars the greatest care.
It’s a bit hazy, but I remember
a green ’53 Pontiac Chieftain
with that iconic hood ornament.
Your favorite was the ’56 Buick, painted
deep green with the lower panels
in a peach that made the perfect contrast.
You were so proud of that car,
and it took a while for you to recover
when it was wrecked by your brother-in law,
while I can’t remember you ever having an accident.
After that, there was The Gold Bomb, a ’50 Plymouth,
then a red ’58 Rambler and a gold ’61 Chevy Biscayne.
But then you moved up to Oldsmobile.
A ’64, and then a ’67, both blue. Always
one to tune your own cars, you kept them running
like a charm. And you were charmed.
They never gave out, and that ’67 was mine,
my own fourth used car, when you finally bought
a new Chevy Suburban in ’73. For you, tune-ups
were far less frequent, but the knowledge
you passed on to me was invaluable, something
that served me for many years. Cars these days
are more complex, and it’s just brake jobs
and oil changes, maybe a thermostat,
but each time I open the hood I see you
leaning on the fender of your car,
doing what had to be done.

Copyright © 2025 Ken Gierke
All Rights Reserved
 
Transplanted from Western New York, Ken Gierke has lived in Missouri since 2012. His love for nature, fostered by the Niagara River, continues in Missouri and is often featured in his poetry. His writing has appeared as two micro-chapbooks from Origami Poems Project, and his poetry appears at numerous online journals and in several anthologies, including the Gasconade Review and Well Versed from the Columbia Writers Guild. Two of his poetry collections have been published by Spartan Press – Glass Awash in 2022 and Heron Spirit in 2024. His poetry can also be found on his website, https://rivrvlogr.com/.