the new car manual

i used

to work on my car,

all of my

cars until about the year 1990.

how easily i'd

change the oil,

put new

shocks on when needed,

rotate the tires,

set the points

and install new spark plugs.

new brake pads were

a snap.

i used to put

in a new oil pump

when the gasket blew,

or water

pump when it failed.

but now

i don't even know

where the latch

is to open

the hood.

one day i'll read the 

two hundred

page

manual and figure out

what all these buttons

are for

and how to turn off

that orange

blinking light telling

me it's time

for an oil change.