Driving in the Driving Rain
By Don Iannone

Driving in the driving rain.
Traffic clogged like a drain pipe
filled with crap--
the sort you wish would get out of the way
and let things flow.
Herky jerky drivers--
slowing down and speeding up,
remind me of hungry sandpipers
chasing tiny crabs at the water's edge.
In the car next to me,
a rotund young woman paints her face.
I can't shake the image of a moon-faced clown,
as I watch the woman circle her lips
several times with her bright red lipstick.
The skies clear,
but my mind remains cloudy.
A thick fog sets in,
and I lose sight of where I am going.
Desperate for a cheerful note to end on,
I think of the big woman painting her face, and I smile
thinking she must buy make-up by the gallon.