Yesterday

yesterday
we said goodbye
to that beat up, old Chevrolet
she had carried us for so long
from New York to California
and back again
she still runs though the miles
have begun to take their toll on her
her once shiny paint no longer glistened
her front end sagged and
her back had begun to smoke a bit
her brakes squealed and
odd bulges rose like fault lines from her tires
her windshield was dimpled by highway debris
the doors groaned and rattled when we drove
her blue leather upholstery reflected the wisdom
of her age
defined by the wrinkles running through her seats
the dashboard was cracked
the steering wheel stained by the hands that drove her
her floorboards had rusted through in places
providing a birds eye view of the passing miles
and the headliner was nothing but pitted, unfinished metal
no she was no longer show room perfect
she was really nothing much to look at
but she was the first car we ever owned
and letting go was so hard

yesterday
we said goodbye
to that beat up, old Chevrolet
but we kept the memories
of the life we had built
and the miles we had driven
of the nights spent parked
at Puddingstone Lake
of the days we cruised
down old route 66
of the night
we brought our firstborn home
of Christmas trees
and New Years eve
of all the pieces
that placed side by side
make up the puzzle
of one couples life