Running hard
Thirty six straight hours
Blizzards on Wyoming winds
Slowed me down
Salt Lake in the mirror
Thirty six straight hours
Running on adrenaline and desire
South on I 15
Las Vegas in the morning
Thirty six straight hours
Singing with all my heart
Willie, Waylon and the boys
Sliding through Mesquite
Thirty six straight hours
Hoping I don't hit
The wall of fatigue
As I crest Railway Pass
Thirty six straight hours
The Valley of Fire
Lays before me
Ls Vegas in the morning
Thirty six straight hours
Before I rest
Once again
Thirty six straight hours
Blizzards on Wyoming winds
Slowed me down
Salt Lake in the mirror
Thirty six straight hours
Running on adrenaline and desire
South on I 15
Las Vegas in the morning
Thirty six straight hours
Singing with all my heart
Willie, Waylon and the boys
Sliding through Mesquite
Thirty six straight hours
Hoping I don't hit
The wall of fatigue
As I crest Railway Pass
Thirty six straight hours
The Valley of Fire
Lays before me
Ls Vegas in the morning
Thirty six straight hours
Before I rest
Once again
Very rewarding read but would think that road safety standards wouldn't permit that anymore (definitely don't in Australia where log books are compulsory and checks and bans are merciless).
ReplyDeleteit is the same here now... transponders and other tech has changed the industry... back then it was like the wild west...
ReplyDeleteI cant imagine the fatigue of 36 straight hours. Glad you made it through, back then.
ReplyDeleteI know in the states you can only be on the road for so long. I did see on the news that many truckers had to pull over due to weather concerns this week. Thirty Six hours, is indeed a long journey. Hopefully, rest came to the tune of at least 18 hours.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness 36 hours!! I applaud your dedication and strength 💞
ReplyDeleteThirty six hours ... and a truck becomes a missile loaded with potential of disaster. Hopefully truckers no longer are asked such. Well written! You took us along.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been awful to go 36 hours. Hard to stay awake on the road. Sounds exhausting and dangerous. Yes, you had the reader right there with you!
ReplyDeleteOh boy I have stayed awake 36 hrs in Vegas but never to travel there....that is real fatigue.
ReplyDelete36 hours is hard. I'm glad you made it!
ReplyDeleteI think this poem would make a great song. What an experience to sing about - survival.
ReplyDeleteYou've struck on a cadence here that works really well with the content. A wonderfully rendered piece that is a pleasure to read.
ReplyDelete"Cross Roads" in the 60's 5 or 6 every 4 hrs. was my choice. :-)
ReplyDeleteZQ
we have a different breed of truckers over here, and they work just as hard, usually involved in the construction business. because they are paid per trip from point A to point B, they tend to speed and squeeze in as many trips as possible. after a couple of high-profile accidents with their dump trucks/cement mixers, safety standards were tightened considerably and speed limiters strictly enforced. things are much quieter now.
ReplyDeletei enjoyed your 'road warrior' poem. :)
That repetition works so well!
ReplyDelete36 hours is a hard drive! A good read.
ReplyDeleteThe repetition of 36 hours, as regular as a train on a track, is a nice touch to this piece.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about road songs? (That they get me right in the heart.) This is a beauty.
ReplyDelete