THIS OLD CAR

Wreck makes one ponder if these wheels could talk

I noticed an old abandoned car recently, parked in a fence corner, surrounded by weeds and being slowly eaten away by rust. It brought back some old memories, and seemed to be a kind of composite of a lot of autos I have known, owned, driven, or ridden in at one time or another .
I often wonder: If these old rattletraps could talk, what weird tales would they tell? After years of associating with human beings, they should have some dandies. I'm sure most would boast of holding a few unofficial speed records. Some would be proud to be organ donors if there was still a demand for their obsolete pistons and gears. And what
would they have to say about their owners and drivers?

This Old Car

This rusty automobile
With one badly bent wheel
And four tires so
Thin that they almost show air

And in its shabby trunk
An assortment of junk –
Rusty, dusty –
With some well-used parts to spare.

Lord knows, it’s seen better days
Out there on the highways.
It looks so sad
And all alone here today.

And what wild yarns might it spin –
Tales of goodness or sin?
If you asked, this
Just might be what it would say:

“At one time I was hot!
Yes, believe it or not.
Just about the
Classiest thing on the road.

"I've chased many a raccoon
By the light of the moon,
And have flattened
Many a big, fat, slow toad.

"Once my big chrome headlights beamed
And my glossy paint gleamed,
Shiny and bright
As a brand-new Cadillac.

"I have traveled coast-to-coast,
Racked up more miles than most.
One might say I
Have been clear to hell and back.

"I've caught many people's eye
While swiftly passing by
On the highways
And byways, both bad and good.

"I've climbed up hills that were steep,
Splashed through mud puddles deep,
And plowed through some
Snowdrifts as high as my hood!

"I have had owners galore -
A half-dozen or more -
And once changed hands
In a mean, nasty divorce,

"Suffered one small 'rear-ender,'
And crumpled a front fender
While avoiding
Poor old Jesse Lester's horse.

Once my driver - fogged by beer
Encountered a few deer.
One big old buck
Slid right through under my frame.

"Almost every other time
I could stop on a dime;
And that was just
One of my main claims to fame.

"I drove folks to proms and balls
And all the great dance halls,
Moonlight Gardens
And good old Melody Mill.

"I was as fast as could be.
No one ever passed me
When I zoomed down
That big old Gillespie Hill.

"But years and miles took their toll
On my body and soul
Until you can't
See much of me now but rust.

"Still my memories live on,
Of those days now long gone,
Back when I could
Leave everyone in the dust.