On the Road (working title)

I had an idea for a story (or a book if it goes long enough, we'll see) a year or so ago.  I came up with a few ideas but never typed anything.  I figured I'd give it a whirl.  The base premise is two guys with a solar-powered car driving around what's left of America after nuclear winter ends.  They'll meet interesting people!  They'll hear interesting stories!  Some humor will be in there along the way.  We'll see how it goes.  Here's the rough (no edits or revisions done) of the first chapter.

On the Road (working title)


Greg Thomas




Part 1: The End


Chapter 1


It was the brightest day imaginable, how could it be better?
A and B had just driven on to the salt flats of Utah. Their solar-powered project car was a joint senior capstone, and this was their third test drive. With the latest round of tinkering, their goal was to get it up to a sustained fifty miles per hour for six hours. A nice, leisurely test drive to finish their engineering degrees.
On such a sunny day, they could drive until nightfall, and even later with the battery reserves in the trunk, but there wasn't any reason to. As long as they could show that the converted Ford Taurus was a viable alternative to gasoline, they'd graduate with honors, get great jobs, and make lots of money. At least, that was the plan, and it was going well so far.
“Why the hell did you bring a Geiger counter?” asked A, after setting the car on cruise control. B was pointing the device in every and making noises like it was a laser pistol.
“Haven't you ever seen the movie 'Them?” Giant ants in the desert. It's a classic. With this, I'll be able to see them coming!” B explained.
“If they're giant, ants couldn't we see them through the windows?” A replied, turning the AC up a notch. He had grown well used to B inanities.
“Not if they're invisible. Radiation can do that, you know,” B patiently pointed out.
“I must have missed that lecture. Hey, pass me one of those Cokes.” B grabbed two Cokes out of the cooler in the back and popped the tops. They each took a nice long gulp.
There wasn't much to see out here. Mountains in the distance, but otherwise just a huge expanse of flat glaring sand. A could probably take his hands off the wheel, there was nothing to hit, but there was the odd race now and again. Their car hummed along wonderfully, with the passengers comfortably passing through the wasteland.
“You know, I don't know how the settlers got through this place. It's desolate. I don't remember it from in Oregon Trail,” B wondered whimsically.
“Dude, we're in Utah. Not Oregon.” Batteries were fully charged from the sunlight. Speed had been maintained for one hour now.
“I think they're sister cities,” B said nonchalantly. “Hey, we rigged this up to power my iPod over the weekend,” B said, fishing an iPod out of his pocket. “Let's get some tunes going!” Soon, Led Zeppelin was coming out of the speakers. B sang along, “When the levee breaks, I'll have no place to stay...”
A flash in the rearview mirror. “Was that lightning?” A asked his companion, turning the music down. The brightness was unbelieveable. A few seconds passed, then a brighter flash, from the right. A turned off cruise control and stopped the car. “There was only sun in the forecast...”
They both got out of the car. B had the Geiger counter in hand, but looked serious for once. They stood baking on the hard salt, scanning the horizons. Bright flashes seemed to have sprouted all around- but not lightning. Clouds were forming in dreaded mushroom shapes. The iPod had been left playing, the doors half-open, “Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good...”

It was the brightest day imaginable, and things could not be more dire.

Oh, Not You Again

I'm going with trite rhymes again this week.  I'd like to have a conversation about why, use of rhyme, and so on, but this isn't a very good place to do so.

Oh, Not You Again

I knew someone from there
I can't remember who
They bored me half to death
(that is, at least, half-true)

I don't recall just how
Their little talk explained
A single reason to
Engage in their refrain

With lengthy stories that
Aroused no sentiment
Another day had passed
Another yawning spent

Perhaps some sunny day
We'll meet again, us two
And you'll remember me
While I've forgotten you

One for the Dogs

My mother suggested I write a poem about dogs.  What is there to say?  I kept things very simple; it could fit on a Hallmark card.  The upside of predictable rhymes is that it took about five minutes to write.  Perhaps next week I'll try something more challenging.


One for the Dogs

The wagging tail
The lolling tongue
The love of play
The need to run
The friendly eyes
The fluffy fur
A few things that
I love dogs for

I'll talk to him
In loving tones
He'll be right there
When I'm alone
I'll brush him soft
I'll throw his balls
We'll go for walks
'Cause we're best pals

The Internet

The Internet

I found I found it founded
(and not so carefully)
In young confounded logic
And multitudes of memes
Within this social meltdown
Of watching cats by day
A very vocal billion
With nothing much to say

And don't forget the pornos
Because they paved the way
For tweets and likes and comments
For boredom on display
So keep your smart devices
With all the internet
Connect me to my footsteps
They are more permanent

Monument

The hardest part of writing is staring at the blank page with no ideas.  After I get a line, a rhyme, a homophone, or something to begin, it's not so bad.  Some weeks I come up with something I like.  A lot of the time I find myself writing without a great deal of satisfaction other than keeping the tools sharp, so to say.

In any case, this week's efforts keep sharp the tools of basic rhyme and meter.

Monument

I biuld a monument

For things that had passed through

A shifty gust

A migrant moth

A memory of you

And resting on the top

In Western-facing view

A followed whim

A brief embrace

A timpani of two

I built this edifice

Of sand and dusk and dew

For melted wax

For ended songs

For shifting motes of blue

The tide comes rolling in

To claim what rites it's due

My monument,

My sacrament

I knew it would pass too

Grief

backwards and forwards.  

Grief

Bleak this morning

Bury her

This delicate window

Kept everything out with 

Glaring confidence

Our eyes, why?

Questions that beg

Insulated

Pains

Behind

Panes

In so late it

Begs that question

Why arise?

Confidants glaring without 

Everything kept window delicate

This barrier

Mourning this bleak

Siege

I know I should try writing in different styles, but I do so enjoy the homophones.

Siege

A

Foray

For a

Battlement

Battle meant

Less edibles

Less said, able

Though to stay employed

Missile!

Miss, I'll

Fire another

Fire and other

Objcets slung

Objections

Come from down below

Great at hacking

Grates,  attacking

For the win!

For the when-

ever we play serf

I'm glad we're using Nerf