Night Drive

I’ve got phrases for days

like the school kids say

I’ve got clouds of prey

hunting birds of gray

and a mighty mouse

who can’t come and play

since she’s busy lifting cheese

for the snowy goats to eat,

but Billie’s gone silly

in the toboggan head

and it’s dark outside

so ghosts ride school slides

while the kids all slumber

and the mouse in the moon

needs a warm Uber home

to her hole

where she sleeps

and she’d nap in the car

that her catcaller drives

but the lamps keep sweeping

by,

too bright,

too fast,

and they don’t look like stars

but if you put them

out in the dark

woods

maybe the will’-o-wisps

would date them

maybe their children

would burn

like the sun

and melt the moon

so Billie

could finally feed his beddie goat belly

on soft cheese

and good dreams

like Mighty always hoped–

say night night

ghosts,

schoolkids,

mouse,

cattail

towers

past the lamps

out the window,

don’t get

too glowed up

to poke your head through the clouds

every once in a while

and tell us what the stars

really look like

tonight.