i drove home in silence
because the noise
of the radio was not as soothing
as the conversations contemplating
the universe that were just had.

driving down the dirt road
that leads to the highway,
i killed the lights
and let the moon guide me
as i counted to ten,
then switched them back.

i drove with the windows down
in 50 degree weather
with the heat of my car on
                                       low
, but the cold did not chill me—
it awakened
my body.

a car whizzed by
as i passed a gas station,
where two boys and girls stood
with skateboards, yelling and chattering

as one of them smoked. normally
i would look at them with disapproval,
but tonight i saw they were doing
what we all must do:

just living.