43. BLUE MORNING

Cheryle lived in her VW van

Parking it behind our bus

Every night for many months

For the safety and the company.

We cooked meals together

Visited each other whenever

Talked our hearts out

About everything that mattered

Every morning early

I'd go to her bus, open the back door

Without knocking

See her blond hair cascading on her pillow

Gently tweak her nose between my fingers

Ask her if she'd like to go for coffee?

She'd russle in her pillow

Open her eyes slowly, stretch and yawn and smile

"Sure...Give me a minute..."

I'd return to my own bus and wait.

In ten minutes she'd be there

And we'd go do our morning thing.

We have mutual dislikes.

She worked at an organic juice place where

One of the big shots

Offered her to share his apartment

As long as she contributed

The special thing he wanted.

She preferred to ignore him

And live on the streets instead

Parking behind my bus and

Being my friend.

He's hated me every since

And spread lies about me to get even.

One day we planned a special trip

We awoke at five AM in the dark

Taking Cheryle's VW

Picked up another sister

And headed to McCredie hotsprings

An hour drive up Highway 58

From Eugene

Crystal blue world

The birth of day