Out of time, out of place

My car drove out of the city,
Its exhaust burning holes in the o-zone,
And I climbed out
Stiff
And sore
From hours of long winding roads
And breath-taking turns
Watching the sun
rise over the hills.
My sneakers,
spoiling the dew,
Squashed the virgin field.

Into the woods.
Out of time
and out of place.
The weathered fern grew awkward
Around the trampled dirt path.
The moment
like a fresh breath of air
Held deep and crisp
inside
Until my lungs gave out
And only the forest was left.

I watched the ground moving
With little ant feet
Swarms
Itching, jerking bodies
Millions of adventurers,
Boundless mysteries,
Scattering in terror
From the soles of my Nikes.
Until

Until rusty sharp-edged soda cans
Until unraveled cigarette butts
Poisoned the eager voyagers.
Tarnishing their paths.
Murdering the serenity.

I clambered into my Honda
And drove away
Forever
From the dreams that died
In a puff of smoke of an ignorant society.