The Road In

By Gary Cardwell

That old road in to Terlingua
ain't dirt no more...
'n them grinning’ touristas
drivin' their Beamers, Audis and Lexus'
won't be get'em dusty
or have'ta rattle over the washboard.

Its gotta new smell now,
not that ol' fine powder
laid on desert flora
or clean desert talc whirlin' about,
but a modern smell
of asphalt and chemical
with carcinogeous vapors seepin' out.

It’s a fine smooth line
with wear and tear now to worry 'bout,
bladed and paved... as a city lane,
future holes to cause fret....
'n deteriorating surface to maintain .

Didn't cost much I understand
the construction company,
jus' a bunch of good ol' boys,
re-doin' the main highway anyway,
jus' figured it in ...
as part o' the modernization plan.

We'll pave your road
'n your parking lot too,
they hissed...
won't cost much o' nothin'
'cept the mood of the land,
a little natural beauty ,
n' jus' a small bit o' history
that nobody'll miss.

As of yet there ain't no centerline,
but that'll come in time,
along with "Keep to the right",
"Speed Radar Enforced",
and at the cemetery road,
A shiny new Yield sign.

Street lights
would surely be nice
with their vapor glow
to give the deep pockets soothing elation,
and maybe later...who knows,
A little tasteful landscaping
by the Texas Department of Transportation

Come on down to Terlingua,
we got paved roads now
that won't ruin your expensive cars...
come one , come all,
' cause  hell ...
by the time you get here
they might have a McDonalds, a Texaco,
a Holiday Inn, or even a mall .

That ol' road in (to Terlingua)
ain't dirt no more...
it ain't dirt no more.

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