Jianqing Zheng
Road to Nashville
As I sing along to Carpenter's song after song, my five-hour drive no longer yawns tearfully.
One hand steering, the other patting my lap to a cheerful beat, I see the interstate as a long
passage of songs sprawled with sunshine that's retreating into a reflection of yesterday once more.
revisiting
a slow slide of streetlights
down to Music Row
Note: passage, reflections, and yesterday once more in the prose refer to Karen Carpenter's album titles.
Bio
Jianqing Zheng is a Mississippi transplant for thirty-five years and recipient of three literary artist fellowships from the Mississippi Arts Commission. His poetry collections include Dreaminations, Visual Chords, The Dog Years of Reeducation, and A Way of Looking.