Cash For Clunkers by Dennis

There it stood.
It was wearing the same Forest Green skin it had been born with.
Faded now, a scratch here, a dent over there.
It could not know what fate had declared.
All the years of faithful service.
All the trips to the grocery, the doctor, piano lessons,
and yes, soccer practice.
There were no chattering kids in the back now.
No dripping ice cream on the faded cloth seats.
No traffic to endure, no schedule to keep.
Left behind in favor of that shiny new conveyance
that has taken it's place.
For more than half my life I have taken such as this
and restored it to full operation.
Not this one.
This is now officially a "clunker."
It is to be destroyed, never to pollute the air
nor consume more than it's share of precious fuel.
I have been tasked to ensure it's path to destruction.
I am obligated to still it's heart.
I drain it's lifeblood and unceremoniously pilot it
on it's last trip to the holding yard.
There, in place of the oil,
I add the poisonous brew as prescribed by law.
This beast must never again be allowed
to roam the highways of our state or nation.
It has no soul, I tell myself,
and yet, the key resists rotation.
Just my imagination...
A little push and a couple more twists,
the engine roars to life as it had thousands of times before.
"Hold the RPM's at 2000" the directive spells out.
For two minutes, life, and this engine, go on.
Then it happens.
No explosion. No loud scream.
Everything just stops.
It is quiet. It is done.
The "clunker" is no more.

Becky (75.16.230.168) -- Thursday, July 30 2009, 05:20 am

Sounds like....
the stilling of the heart of a beloved pet.. I know that is how it would feel if it were my beloved old car... Such a shame to still the heart of an old beast that still has life.. I think it is a very sad program... pooooor herbie.....

great perspective... great poem..

shiloh (67.251.100.215) -- Thursday, July 30 2009, 05:31 am

wow... just plain freakin' wow.
This totally threw me. never have i felt any emotion for an automobile like you have brought forth in this work. this is truly a piece of art in print. fantastic work. just fantastic.

JroP (74.69.179.5) -- Sunday, August 2 2009, 05:40 pm

It is wrong
It is wrong to destroy something so loyal for the shinny new thing.

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