sweet jesus

the middle of the night

the middle of america

the middle of the road

 

we took a family vacation

in a blue cadillac sedan

an absurd car for a

working-class family like ours

a crazy car to pile in

and drive across america
but dad got a good deal

and it was dependable

so off we went on a

cross-country tour

to see america

 

late at night or early morning

deep in the dark

i was riding in front

to keep dad awake

while mom and brother and sister

slept in the back

so just me and dad

awake at that hour

 

coming off an exit

with a tight curve

we ran over a dead dog

that came out of nowhere

as our lights swung round

too late to think

anything but look out

 

the dog was a big

barrel-chested dog

would have been

formidable in life and

now lying dead

and stretched out

across the middle of the road

 

and we were riding so low

in our fully loaded cadillac

when we looked back

we didn't see the dog in our taillights

but we could hear something dragging

 

sweet jesus

the middle of the night

the middle of america

the middle of the road

 

the dog was stuck

underneath our chassis

and i could hear it

we could hear it dragging

we could hear the dog dragging

sliding down the road

 

i looked at dad

and dad looked ahead

and we didn't speak

we could only listen

where the big dog

under the low chassis

pressed between

asphalt and cadillac

was sliding along

 

when dad stopped the car

and put it in reverse

we saw a wide red smear

painted fresh in our headlights

running straight up

the middle of the road

 

sweet jesus

the middle of the night

the middle of america

the middle of the road

 

we eventually backed up

far enough

to get the dog loose

then went forward and around

and never spoke a word

about it

not that night

not ever

it was just between dad and me

and dad's gone

so it's just you and me now

and

 

sweet jesus

the middle of the night

the middle of america

the middle of the road