When you talk about gas stations, there’s one chain in Texas that gets some out-sized attention for, well, its size. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Buc-ee’s Break
In five miles,
three miles,
one mile,
right there!
That special smell of brisket
and candied nuts,
gasoline,
dusty highway air.
The hum of electricity
as the line of Teslas
pull life from tall, white machines.
Wave to the Girl Scouts,
the man who holds the door,
tipping his hat soak in the sunshine,
then walk
inside
to a smiling beaver high five.
Gummy bear, worm, shark wall,
turkey jerkey,
sixteen slurpee flavors,
synthetic lights.
A baseball team waits for the bathroom.
A costumed crew chomps on breakfast tacos
before the big show.
I wander the aisles,
wonder what
I
need today.
I guess it’s what we all need –
to recharge, take a break.
A whole weird world
on the side of the road
in which to escape.
Typewriter Rodeo airs each Friday on Texas Standard. Send us your ideas for a poem on Facebook or Twitter, or send us an email.
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