Dear Nashville or Every Country “Songwriter”

Boy meets girl
boy invites girl into truck

he’s got a great idea
why don’t they get some beer

and ride down, preferably,
a dirt road, but any back road

will certainly do,
to the bonfire out

in the woods, the country
or somewhere

equally remote. Every country
songwriter’s gonna be there,

except Hank and George
and Loretta and Willie

and Mother Maybelle and Waylon
and Tammy and Faron and Steve,

they send their regrets, but
they wouldn’t be caught dead there.

They’ll all be at home listening
to Jimmie Rodgers.

…still

the attendance at this bonfire
is gonna be incredible.

They are gonna have
themselves a ball

once they get through
the line of traffic

headed down the dirt road
to the bonfire, where

hopefully, they’ll get to enjoy
sitting on the tailgate

listening to every country songwriter
sing a song about going

down a dirt road
to a bonfire out in the woods.

I hope it’s a clear night
’cause then they’re

also gonna get to enjoy

the silver light
of that neon moon.

–April 27, 2017