CARPARK PERSECUTION

The metal vultures circle
Stalking their prey
I feel the heat of their engines
The whir of the AC and muted thump of base
They strive to make eye contact
I shake my head no
And hurry zigzagging to my car
If they smile, I may allow them to slip
Into my perfect parking spot.

Walk, dang it!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved.

COPPER STAR-BUGS

Crouched like a spider
Motionless, hidden just beside the rise
Ready to tangle you in a web of flashing red and white
Pulsing red eyes
Screeching wails fill the night
Making people pull over in fright
As you receive the expensive venom of a speeding ticket.

Drive the speed-limit.
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved.

TRAFFIC VERSE

The traffic reporter is my guide;
I shall not want.
He or she makes me to slow down on bad roads;
S/he leads me out of traffic jams.
S/he restores my sanity;
S/he leads me in the paths of faster traffic for everyone's sake.
Yea, though I drive through the valley of the shadow of snow,
I will fear no exhaust ice;
For the DOT is with me;
Your traffic chart with green, amber, and red, they comfort me.
You prepare a graphic before me in the presence of my fear;
You daub my head with relief;
My coffee never runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me on every road trip;
And I will dwell in auto safely forever.

DOT = Department of Transportation provides traffic management charts and live video feed to the reporters who interpret the data. Minnesota's site is http://www.dot.state.mn.us/tmc/trafficinfo/traffic.html

PS No offense intended. Any resemblance to other source material is purely coincidental.

Thank you DOT!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

ROAD CAVITIES

Brown, tan, and grays everywhere you look. The ground remains frozen as the snow melts revealing the trash and sand dispersed during the cold months. We need some gentle rains of less than an inch to help thaw the soil. Instead, the Twin Cities (and much of the Midwest) was coated with another heavy layer of snow. Now is the winter of my discontent!

The roadways are chock full of cavities, wrecking havoc on tires and auto suspensions. A couple years ago on my way to an interview I could not avoid a deep pothole. The affected tire developed a bulge on its side so I had to get it replaced. Tires are very expensive and I was irritated beyond words. The road dental crews need to fill up the crevices with asphalt.

I am crabby about the extension of winter. It is mid-April; I ought to be able to rake away the debris. I want to start my peas and other cool weather plants that can endure 40-degree nights. I want my eyes to be overwhelmed with green and my nose filled with the essence of chlorophyll. I want to hear the happy chirp of birds as the leaves and tulips emerge from their slumber. I want to shed my heavy coat and boots for at least six months. I don’t mind winter but it should vacate by the end of March.

Seeking Spring.
© 2013 Ima B. Musing

AUTO CALAMITY

Crunch. “Damn,” I muttered. I waved the universal “follow me” beckoning sign to the guy. He was driving the car that had just crashed into mine. I had safely traversed treacherous city streets, slightly slippery highway, and had cautiously exited the off ramp near my office. The ramp slopes downward so I drove slowly. I still slid a bit at the end but managed to stop at the yield sign. Patiently waited for traffic to clear before I could merge. Alas, the young man behind me did not practice such caution. I was beginning to exit when I glanced in the rearview mirror and felt dread. His car was traveling too fast and I couldn’t get traction to move out of the way. A percussive thud was the result. At least I didn’t hit anyone as he slammed into my car.

We pulled into a parking lot and he was immediately apologetic. I asked if he had insurance and felt relieved when he replied in the affirmative. I have indemnity coverage so we swapped information. The back of my aged car, 13 years old, is cracked and a large chunk is missing from the center. The offending auto didn’t have a ding. My Toyota Camry now shutters a bit so it probably got knocked out of alignment, too. The break indicator light keeps turning on so a wire must have been affected. The car is drivable. I don’t have money to replace it.

The pain was instantaneous. My neck and back began to ache. Thankfully the other driver, we’ll call him Jin, said that he felt okay. He is a college student and it was his first mishap. Alas, I have been in several vehicular collisions. After swapping information, I slowly made my way to work. I called my insurance company’s claims office and they quickly assigned me to an adjustor, Ellen. I told her that I wasn’t feeling well and she added on a medical adjustor. Both adjustors are located in the Twin Cities and they were very friendly. With the support of Aspirin, I foolishly worked a full day, which I will refer to as Day Zero.

No sick leave or PTO and no medical or benefits of any kind is offered to me since I am a part time employee. I had the next day (aka Day 1) off and decided that I should seek medical assistance. I researched and located a chiropractor. She was lacking in bedside manner and the office cramped but the acupuncture and ultrasound permitted me to move my head more freely. It is too soon to do adjustments. Dr. Lily (not her real name). She noted that the pain would probably get worse before I would begin to heal. How disheartening.

The next day I had to work for a half day (Day 2). Lily prescribed a message after work. The therapist, Sally, was gentle but I felt wretched that night and all of Day 3. My left leg sciatic nerve and mid-back are at 9 on the pain level scale with 10 being the highest. Perhaps I should have waited a week before seeking treatment. Aspirin isn’t strong enough and I hesitate consuming very much because it can lead to other problems. I can’t use Ibuprophen because it irritates my kidneys.

Pain in the neck.
© 2013 Ima B. Musing