Parts and Labor
For years I drove without an oil change –
reckless, perhaps, but I was young
and life was a road trip.
Now I put statins in the tank
and have camshaft issues climbing hills.
Springs sag and fluid has leaked from my strut.
The rod’s still connected to the transmission
but the piston cranks the shaft
with less torque – the mechanic says
there’s a little blue pill for that.
The dashboard’s cracked from sun damage.
The steering’s loose, and lettering on signs
has gotten way too small.
The GPS still recognizes all of the streets
but I tell my wife where I’m going, just in case.
I do yoga to adjust the timing belt,
get serviced on the day and time
a young girl in scrubs writes on a card.
It’s not me that got old, it’s the damn car.
Good thing it was just a rental.
8 thoughts on "Parts and Labor"
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ha! this was a very fun read! i love it…
Love this!!!
Nice twist in your last line 🙂
Really good one Mike. “statins in the tank” – sun damaged dashboard – My husband will love this one! Funny!
Hey that wasn’t a rental
that was my 94 Honda Accord wagon
that they don’t make anymore
I enjoyed this one a lot. Great poem
what a terrific analogy!
. . and all along I thought it was the birthday candle factory that was delivering all the quirks of yearly number accumulation. It was the car. Reminds me of Portrait of Dorian Gray.