Watch Out for Runaway Cheese Trucks by John Tustin

I think about her every once in a while

And about once a month she contacts me,

Asking me if everything is alright.

(I know what you’re thinking

But she’s living with a guy now –

She has no interest in me anymore.)

 

It was always an easy time with her.

I never laughed so hard with a woman

After,

Lying in bed and telling each other stories

Of our shit pasts and our shit present time.

She was always thoughtful,

She hardly ever irritated me

And she had a high tolerance for my bullshit –

For a while, anyway.

 

It’s strange how I don’t remember much about our time together.

I don’t remember the conversations, just the laughter.

What I liked best about her besides what I already mentioned

Was that all I had to do was touch her hair and she moaned and trembled.

That felt good to me in my chest

And down to my toes.

I felt powerful

Even though it was likely more about the previous dearth of affection

Than it was about me.

 

I remember so little about our time together

But that’s normal for me.

I remember feelings, moments, looks,

Tiny moving images that don’t have a clock running beside them.

Once she told me a childhood story about someone stealing a truck –

A refrigerated truck full of deli cheeses

And my running joke with her was to tell her to watch out

For runaway cheese trucks

When she’d leave my place

And go back out into the world,

Which is where she is now:

Out there somewhere in the world

Without me.

About the Poet:

John Tustin’s poetry has appeared in many disparate literary journals since 2009. His first poetry collection from Cajun Mutt Press is now available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6W2YZDP . fritzware.com/johntustinpoetry contains links to his published poetry online.