My Mother Loved Me

My mother loved me in a 1979 Dodge Dart

Pickle green, sandy vinyl interior.

I didn't know that she loved me

Until our first ride in that Dodge

Her first car.

She was twenty-six, I was eight.

We were young, together.

I didn't know

Till' half way down the road

That dirty road, followed by a cloud of dust.

Hank Williams whining through the radio

My mother whining louder

Through the smoke rings of her Camel

Our hair whipped our faces

Arms out the windows

I wondered if she knew that she was smiling

I was smiling too

Ashes fell from her Camel

Onto sandy vinyl seats

But she didn't let go of the steering wheel

Or my hand.