The Camero

~ qbit 
We named the constellation west of Ursa Major The Camero
because we could feel its starry-eyed engine humming 
in the dark, freeway between Boulder and the Big Dipper
wide open, no limit other than the speed of light

Where else could we go, we were children really
the sky costing us nothing, our thumbs out to hitch a ride
on the next comet or Sputnik or beater 2-door 
heading back down the mountain to our one-room whirling galaxy

Where ball-lightning shot down the wall and scorched the floor,
no surprise to us really, only to be expected 
from the fire we shaped in our hands, ragged flash and bang 
bridging the earth and sky, your skin smelled like creosote

And still does, our returning so many years later all roads beginning 
and leading back here, all starlight sparked and bending
through the universe back here, gravity, every stroke of lightning
every storm leaving rainwater where I swing you over pools 

Of light and dark, every 
time we hear that 
engine rumble
overhead

For Shay’s Word Garden

23 thoughts on “The Camero”

  1. Wow, qbit, this poem is amazing. You took me back, I saw the sky, smelled the scorch, love “all roads leading back here, all starlight sparked and bending through the universe.” Just beautiful.

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  2. Definitely the first poem I have ever read that references ball lightning! 10 points! This poem crackles for sure, and may even be the Rosetta Stone for radio signals from space. I’m calling Mulder and Scully right now.

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  5. “all roads beginning
    and leading back here, all starlight sparked and bending
    through the universe back here, gravity, every stroke of lightning
    every storm leaving rainwater where I swing you over pools”

    I love the imagery in this. Excellent poem, q!

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  8. I have missed reading your poetry. Since it would be overdo to copy and paste the entire poem, I’ll just put this jewel here that wowed me.

    “Where ball-lightning shot down the wall and scorched the floor,
    no surprise to us really, only to be expected
    from the fire we shaped in our hands, ragged flash and bang
    bridging the earth and sky, your skin smelled like creosote”

    I wish I had this kind of poetry talent.

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  9. Love when you spirit us away … especially when it involves a Camero! Our neighbor way back in the late 60s had one. Three little boys then, daughter on the way, Dad in Vietnam …. he would take our sons for rides. No seat belts. Hopefully not at “the speed of light”! As always, you blow us away with your poetry.

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  10. https://camero-tech.com/ or Camaro — it seems to work either way. “…life-saving products provide accurate, real time information regarding people and objects behind walls and barriers, for life saving, time critical decisions” playing off your lines, “…ball-lightning shot down the wall and scorched the floor,/ no surprise to us really, only to be expected….” A tactically excellent poem.

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