David Dixon

Two of us

The last time we rode nowhere
was the week our second son was born
and when he wouldn’t stop crying at 3 a.m.
we bundled him tightly in the car seat,
told your mother we’d be back soon,
and began to drive which seemed to work
as he slept quietly until we were held up
by stop signs or red lights so we found
a small highway that took us away
from the city, felt promising, and soon
we were on an open road which meant nothing
before us and nothing behind us
with late June air flowing light and cool
through halfway rolled down windows.

We didn’t know yet if this boy liked music
so we rode in silence
and I reached for your hand
with the feeling we were closer to home.

__________

About the author

David Dixon is a physician, poet, and musician who lives and practices in the foothills of North Carolina. His work has appeared in Rock & Sling, The Northern Virginia Review, Connecticut River Review, FlyingSouth, The Greensboro Review, The Atlanta Review and elsewhere. He is the author of The Scattering of Saints (Hermit Feathers Press, 2022).