Drive

By Jamie Bernstein

Driving up the Merritt
Late tonight in
A firm resolution of rain
Wipers on max
Glimpses of clarity
Instantly watered over
Road surface so shiny with wet
It's like gliding through
A swath of nebulae
Luckily I have all, all
The Chopin Preludes
For radio company
My mother played them better
This guy whoever he is
Speeds up slows down
Untethered to innate pulses
Now Mummy drove a car
Serenely but fast
Hugging the left lane
Gaining steadily on everyone
Signalling, sliding over
Commanding the wide wagon
Bringing the tempo to herself
Chopin drives me to midnight
In the rain I'm almost her
Aloft at the darkling wheel