Memories that melded with songs

Index card drawing by my oldest son

Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

’s Song Title Poetry challenges (one of many posts here) kept reminding me of memories in my life when a moment fused with a song and they’ve been mashed together ever since.

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1.

Walking as a group to the campus movie theater
freshman year, finding my feet so slowly

the guys ahead start singing “Don’t Follow”
and when they reach the bridge, I sing

Scared to death, no reason why
Do whatever to get me by

Think about the things I said
Read the page, it’s cold and dead—*

Jarrod turns around and gives a nod. “Solid.”
He didn’t expect me to know, but I did.

2.

I’m in my Alanis Morissette stage of life
an angry pupa wobbling against the words.

My oldest sister, getting married in a few days
mentions a headache: I think it’s the music. 

I still wish I had turned it off, let her live
in her white dress and veil, fishtail.

4.

I’m driving at night because my sadness is too big
for the walls of our small rental. I’m driving 
to get away from it, to be in the cloud of it
to not be devoured by it, to find a way out of it. 

I pray that a certain song will come on the radio.
It doesn’t, but I like the one that plays. 
The next song swells. Nice, but no dice. 

The third song is the one I prayed for
Word of God Speak
and I’m crying so hard at this tiny miracle
that I have to pull the car over. 

It’s dark and I’m alone, but not alone.
I drive home.

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*Lyrics from “Don’t Follow” written by Jerry Cantrell, performed by Alice In Chains.