The Humps

For grass farming pipe changing

Eastern Washington teens like us

The Humps

Offered raucous entertainment

Carol and I take them ten in a row

In dad’s yellow International

Rodeo radio

Drink the diversion dirt road ride

Freewheeling laughter

As the vehicle picks up speed and hits the first of the rolling burms

Cheerleader heartens the nerves with precious glances

Outfielder holds the reckless wheel

Her

Blonde hair meshing with the dark of

His

We meet altitude weightlessly

In bounding ridiculous grace

Then drive down like earthly gearing

Into the onrushing pit of maturing gravitational force

Then climb anew, plow down again

The Humps

We take them ten in a row

Sixty miles an hour

Lifting right off the road into space

Raising field-sized clouds of mouse colored dust

Resembling a stampeding herd of Blue Mountain elk

Half an hour from our high school

In the lap of redneck heaven

We take them ten in a row

And rejoice in youth