Travel Woes

Over the past week, I flew down to Salt Lake City to visit my kids, and make an appearance at my home office.  I love traveling, though I love flying a lot less.  I stress for days before hand.  This time around, I was clenching and grinding my teeth in my sleep more than usual, and on Friday, I split a bicuspid in half.  There will be many meals served from blenders and several visits to the oral surgeon in my immediate future. Still, Tylenol with Codeine helps, and I had several interesting stoned conversations with family.

The trip home was exhausting, thanks to a fellow traveler.

Traveling Coach

Blond hair, curt cut

errant strand trembling

fingers jumping between

beverage and glasses

tablet and 2 phones,

intermittently adjusting filter,

aligning screen,

accessories sprawled over

two seats.

No audible breath,

but with each tap,

each text, each twitch of hers

I felt a muscle of my own atrophy

a breath stifle

until every impulse,

every movement

crawled inside me

to sleep.