3151. THE FUTURE WAS NOTHING LIKE THIS

THE FUTURE WAS
NOTHING LIKE THIS
I remember you went to Pittsburgh -
blue pants, a funny hat, sunglasses
and all that driving. You said it made
you feel young - 'being out on the
road, moving along, owing no man
no thing.' I liked that way of a phrase
you had - a glide, a quick and a glib
tongue. 'Owing no man no thing,' I
thought, was pretty unique. Most
people probably would have said
instead - 'owing nobody nothing'
or maybe 'I don't own nothing to
nobody.' I hope you understand
what I'm trying to say.
-
Blue glass, blue Pittsburgh glass.
'PPG they call it!' That's what
you said - craning your neck
sky-high out the driver's window,
watching things go by - wind in
your hair, wind in your eyes (which
the glasses hid). Funny to see you
steer, at sixty miles an hour and more,
with but the tip of your index finger.
-
'Mostly, I want for nothing. That
sounds great, yeah, I know, like I'm
rich and can have everything. No way,
man - it's actually the opposite. So
freaking broke that I've learned now
to want for nothing, 'cuz I can't have it.
Get it? Just to get by.' Yeah, the future,
back then, was nothing like this.