directions

go left at the water
tower,
the man tells me, pointing
with his rag held
hand,
his brow streaked in oil.
there's mustard on
his dry lips.
you know where Elmer's
farm is?
well the water tower
is about a hundred
yards from there,
and once you make that turn,
you'll see a fence,
a broken fence,
seems joe don't want to fix
that fence, guess
he doesn't care
about his live stock
too much, but when you see
that fence you'll
be near the main
road.
you might want to stop
though and grab a bite to eat,
my wife's sister
owns that little store
on the corner,
it ain't much but
there's a three stool counter.
she makes a nice egg
and tomato sandwich.
pay no mind
to her husband though,
and don't make eyes
at her, he's a bit jealous
especially with strangers.
once you get back onto
the main road,
you'll see how the road
splits. there should be
signs up, but sometimes
the kids spray paint over
them. good luck, and I hope
that plug
I put in your tire holds out.