avatarHolly Jahangiri

Summary

"Texas Roads" is a horror-themed poem that evokes the harsh, heat-ridden landscape of Texas and the dark thoughts that can emerge on its endless highways.

Abstract

The poem "Texas Roads" paints a vivid picture of the oppressive heat and endlessness of Texas highways, using rich imagery to convey a sense of danger and foreboding. It tells of a journey through oilfields and desolate landscapes, where the protagonist grapples with raw, primal thoughts and the relentless elements. The poem is part of a collaborative chain of responses, with the author, Holly Jahangiri, contributing to a game of poetic tag, inviting others to participate by adding their own verses. Themes of power, control, and the convergence of man and the environment are interwoven with the poem's structure, which mirrors the monotony and intensity of a drive through Texas.

Opinions

  • The author conveys a sense of raw power and primal energy through the imagery of crude oil and the harsh Texas landscape.
  • There is a palpable tension between the civilized veneer of modern travel and the underlying wildness of the setting.
  • The poem suggests a thin line between control and chaos, as the driver navigates both the physical roads and their own darkening thoughts.
  • The act of tagging other poets is seen as a challenge to confront and contribute to the unsettling narrative initiated by the poem.
  • The author emphasizes the importance of originality and warns against plagiarism, asserting the value of authentic creative work.

Poetry | Horror

Texas Roads

Beware those crude thoughts when the rubber meets the road.

Photo by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash

Endless, flat, Texas roads bear their load, Heat rising, shimmering in sweat, sea tang, Salt, and the tarry blood of dinosaurs. Sweltering, unrelenting, vulcanized Rubber rolls the Rolls across the oilfields; Where men with dirty fingernails and thoughts Drill crude — thinking of power, unrefined.

Heat rising, shimmering in sweat, sea tang, Skin salty with the tears of crocodiles — She stretches, sticks her hand out the window, Tests the wind. The road, straight as a Boy Scout, Its never-ending dotted line — “tear here” — Sweeps, lethargic, through her heat-simmered thoughts. Time for fuel; a quick top-up at the pump.

Skin salty with the tears of crocodiles His fingers burn, kissed by dragon’s breath, Awakened with a jolt before Texas Roads warning rumble strips him bare — rips him, Robs him of control. He lights another, Buys cheap truck stop stickers: Brakes for Pleasure. Aims for Amarillo by breakfast time.

Awakened with a jolt before Texas Heat rising, shimmering in sweat, sea tang, Sweltering, unrelenting, vulcanized — Hypnotized. Tear here, crocodile. Tear here. Salt, and tarry blood on a moonless night — Evidence doesn’t last, where men and crude Heat-simmered thoughts converge on open roads.

Tagged again! Again, by James G Brennan…

In a game begun by Martin Rushton:

And I tag you, yes you. But also these lucky poets and ought-to-be poets: Daniel G. Clark, Elisabeth Khan, Eli Snow, Vinitha Dileep, Bob Jasper, Josh Lonsdale, Jenine Bsharah Baines, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, Gurpreet Dhariwal, Geetika Sethi… and you. If you’re reading this and feeling at all tempted to join in, please do not wait for an engraved invitation! Join in, then tag me so I can read your poem. Your word is hallowed and/or hollowed.

Holly Jahangiri is the author of Trockle; A Puppy, Not a Guppy; and A New Leaf for Lyle. She draws inspiration from her family, from her own childhood adventures (some of which only happened in her overactive imagination), and from readers both young and young at heart. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, J.J., whose love and encouragement make writing books twice the fun.

If you are reading this on any site other than Medium or on jahangiri.us, the content may have been stolen.

Poetry
Fiction
Horror
Murder
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