The cars my neighbors have seen are no secret-They have come and gone in plain sight-
North Carolina tags, two of them
Georgia tags, two of them
A red Chevy truck spent the most time here-over a year-
and several visits over a 4 year period-carefully backed in with precision each time-
its been a year since I heard its engine warm up and drive away-
For 6 months a white Outback came and left on the weekends-its windows down and the back end always full of supplies or things
to be used for building a home-but the blueprints for that plan were thrown in the backseat and returned to Clarksville-
A BMW for a dinner night-maybe three-but it was always gone by 9-not long enough for my fingerprints to smudge the surface of the
leather seat-
A van with California tags-
An Escalade with R and B always booming-
A mustang, a beautiful convertible-sometimes would stop by just to show off-
A custom jeep for 3 months-
A Mini -Cooper
police cars-sometimes for a visit, sometimes for a safety check
for false alarms and drunken friends
The distant rumble of a Harley kept me looking out the window for months, hoping the only motorcycle I'd ever been on might stop for a visit-
The vehicles didn't always park overnight regardless of what the kids, my neighbors or ex husband and friends may think-
there are couches and guest beds who have had frequent guests-and I have a lock on my door for those drivers who may
have thought that parking here included anything other than parking privileges.
As the cars, trucks and motorcycles made their ways down the driveway ,many drove away hurriedly and others carefully and slowly
backed out reluctantly-Many with a part of my heart on the dashboard or still on the lips
of the driver -and if they cared to look back, the memory of a goodbye wave I hope still lingers in the rear view mirrors of those whose front seats and radio
dials I touched the most.
Shana Landry
North Carolina tags, two of them
Georgia tags, two of them
A red Chevy truck spent the most time here-over a year-
and several visits over a 4 year period-carefully backed in with precision each time-
its been a year since I heard its engine warm up and drive away-
For 6 months a white Outback came and left on the weekends-its windows down and the back end always full of supplies or things
to be used for building a home-but the blueprints for that plan were thrown in the backseat and returned to Clarksville-
A BMW for a dinner night-maybe three-but it was always gone by 9-not long enough for my fingerprints to smudge the surface of the
leather seat-
A van with California tags-
An Escalade with R and B always booming-
A mustang, a beautiful convertible-sometimes would stop by just to show off-
A custom jeep for 3 months-
A Mini -Cooper
police cars-sometimes for a visit, sometimes for a safety check
for false alarms and drunken friends
The distant rumble of a Harley kept me looking out the window for months, hoping the only motorcycle I'd ever been on might stop for a visit-
The vehicles didn't always park overnight regardless of what the kids, my neighbors or ex husband and friends may think-
there are couches and guest beds who have had frequent guests-and I have a lock on my door for those drivers who may
have thought that parking here included anything other than parking privileges.
As the cars, trucks and motorcycles made their ways down the driveway ,many drove away hurriedly and others carefully and slowly
backed out reluctantly-Many with a part of my heart on the dashboard or still on the lips
of the driver -and if they cared to look back, the memory of a goodbye wave I hope still lingers in the rear view mirrors of those whose front seats and radio
dials I touched the most.
Shana Landry