Friday, May 17, 2013

That's How Wild Woman Rolls

flickr.com

Wild Woman drives
a spiffy '92 blue Toyota Corolla wagon
with 414,448 kilometres on it,
and that's a lot of
four's.

It has more rust holes
than an old milking pail
that has been at the landfill
since 1902.
It has so many dents that,
when a woman backed into it 
at high speed
at a gas station,
Wild Woman just said,
"No worries,"
and drove away, grateful
the woman had hit
the rear, 
rather than the driver's,
door.

Blue visited the shop today,
because things got so evil
under the hood
that a vital component
completely disappeared,
without explanation.

Mechanics surveyed
Wild Woman's
general deshabille
and lack of chic.
(Wild Woman and her true blue car
have both passed 
their Best Before dates, clearly.)

They appraised, with grave concern,
 the lumpy dented car
with its jaunty "I Love Tofino" bumper sticker,
and gently suggested that
a coolant flush
"was recommended,
but not essential,
in the general scheme of things,
like if food requirements, for example,
were truly pressing."

They asked if it had air conditioning.

 "No, I’m just grateful it still RUNS."

They laugh.

But Toyotas always do. 


No matter what
is Missing
or Less Than Perfect,
whenever Wild Woman turns the key,
it starts. 
Wild Woman will likely
still be driving it
for another five years.
The body may rust off,
but Blue will still be 
chugging happily along.

Just like me, 
Wild Woman realizes.
She identifies 
with her old car.
She loves its staunch brave heart,
its Can Do attitude.

It will take some serious Doing
to keep starting
longer than her
Toyota does.

Wild Woman is up
for the task.

I was thrilled, today, to realize that the mechanic assumed by my attire and wild hair, that I LIVED in Tofino. Made my day! My work here is done. Cackle.


11 comments:

  1. A nice and delightful read to end my day on, thanks for the smile.

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  2. Ha, this was fun, Sherry! Your car is quite a 'trooper,' just like you! Toyotas just keep chugging along, with or without a coolant flush!!

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  3. It's a challenge to have it running. When it does, it's a phenomena! Nicely Sherry!

    Hank

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  4. You and Blue, how poetic, Sherry! This is how I felt about Marie Dressler, my '62 Volvo, which had turned the 5-digit odometer at least once before I bought it in 1974. She was totalled... by a num. Crap.

    The best part of this is your identifying with Blue... I, too, have outworn my Expiration Date welcome, at least as far as the Fresh Produce Section is concerned, and this made me damned proud I have.

    Wild Woman, drive on bravely! Thx for commenting so powerfully about my interview at Real Toads, too. Love, Amy

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  5. Believe me, Magic Word Spinner, you are needed here forever to drive us on down that road with a holey grace! This is my new favorite!

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  6. Hahaha...that was a treat for the readers, Sherry! You're a true word-spinner! Long live the ramshackle...!! What a ride...:))

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  7. A huge cackle right back at ya!! Great story poem.

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  8. This really gave me a smile! Keep running, Wild Woman. You'll outrun us all yet!

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  9. Fun poem! You mean you're not one of those surfers from the beach?

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  10. Could it be that the blue wagon is actually in love with you?

    Haha!

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