Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Entry #49

Time is a Road
by Josh Vogt


Time is a road, they said. Two lanes. Maybe some stop signs.

They never mentioned the detours. The potholes. The roadkill. The washed out portions flooded by quantum streams. The damn chaos butterflies slamming into the windshield.

This bike, a marvel, a gift, prints its treads across the continuum. Faces flash in the headlight, along the periphery. Ghostly then gone. The highbeam pierces the fog a few centuries ahead. Far enough for me to dodge alternate Hitler histories, to skirt futures filled with monkey-men.

I gas up at the Great Inflation of the 60s and 70s. My tire goes flat on the population spike of 3193.

Patched. Drive on.

Time is a road, but this one doesn’t lead to Rome. I’m mapping every mile so others can drive it safely. I’ll show them how to avoid the roadblocks of potential apocalypses. Warn them about swerving over the line and plowing into oncoming existence.

I am the first to drive it, and many will come behind me. They’ll see the skid marks, smell the fumes, note the occasional diamond-dribble of glass and know someone sacrificed much to chart the course they follow.

But first I must find the way home.

17 comments:

Beth said...

There are so many great lines in here, I started cutting and pasting, but realized there were too many. Just a very cool, smart and well-written read.

Sheri Perl-Oshins said...

Very beautifully written!

Esther Avila said...

Nicely done. So interesting and so philosophical. Good work.

BernardL said...

Thought provoking look at blazing the trail; and it reminded me of how often the ones following insist on hitting every one of the potholes you've so carefully warned about. :) Very well written.

Sarah Hina said...

I was looking forward to your entry, Josh, and you did not disappoint. You always expand the canvas in your writing, and allow us a glimpse of characters beyond our world. This was a brilliant metaphorical concept.

I like his dogged heroism, and the touch of melancholy you brought to bear. So many beautiful lines, too. Definitely one of my favorites.

My crazy life said...

Nice poetry. Very thought provoking imagery. -Rita

Scott said...

I love the concept, and I'll echo the sentiments that this was brilliant writing.

JR's Thumbprints said...

Reminds me somewhat of that Oprah bookclub pick, "The Road". Nice shift from "they" to "I".

JaneyV said...

Quite apart from the beautiful writing, the intriguing concept and the mind-blowing interpretation of the picture - I really liked this. Time cartographer on a motorbike - There are no words. Superb Josh - really amazing!

Anonymous said...

I keep coming back to this...it is quite irresistible. A cartographer mapping an ambiguous landscape... our future planet? So many interpretations. This is a very significant piece. Impressive writing.

AngelConradie said...

fantabulous! i love how this seems so huge, yet complete!

Anonymous said...

it takes a lot of ability/talent to pen such a classy piece of work with so many jaw-dropping phrases.

wish i could have half of yours...

Anonymous said...

Interesting concept here, and a story filled with many brilliant, poetic phrases. Well done!

laughingwolf said...

very nice, but don't forget the skidmarks in the underwear, too :O

Sameera Ansari said...

That was a very different take,and a good one at that!

Loved the philosophy ingrained in it :)

JRVogt said...

Thank you to everyone who commented and voted. You all provided some great encouragement. Congrats to everyone who placed!

Anonymous said...

So inventive. It feels a step beyond understanding, but that fits the subject so well. Amazingly done. The feeling of being lost at the end is hard-hitting. Highest marks.

Congratulations on Third Place!!