the lube job

the guy at the oil
lube
place,
calls me out of the waiting
room.
I can hardly hear him as he yells
out my name over the blaring
tv stuck
near the ceiling in the corner.

i put down my
people magazine with liz taylor
on the front
and get up.
I stare at the brown cold
pitcher of coffee
on an unlit burner, then go out
out to my car
for a diagnosis.

air filters, cabin
filters, oil filters, wipers,
lights,
tires, shocks,
transmission fluid, on and on.
anti-freeze,
wiper fluid.

each part of the car
needs a screw turned,
a bulb replaced. some orifice
topped off.

I don't know how I've been
able to drive around in this two
year old car
for so long.

just oil I tell him.
he shakes his head and sighs.

okay.
it's your car, your life.