parting ways

the cops
were chasing us one night.
we had
a taillight out
and were driving down a one
way street
with open bottles
of liquor in the car.
betty was at the wheel,
smoking,
the radio up.
joan jett blasting,
I hate myself for loving you.
she was wearing her torn fish net
stockings and a t shirt
that read disco sucks.
we turned down
an alley
and cut the engine,
waited out the cops
until dawn.
we had a long talk, betty
and me.
she was starting culinary
school
in the fall
and I was heading west.
she told me that her
tattoos were
temporary and that she really
loved to knit.
she wanted to have three
babies.
she pulled out a stick pin
from her eye brown
and handed it to me.
this is to remember me
by, she said,
then we went to mcdonalds
for breakfast.