trip to PHX
by t. zoey benally

silver Echo bloated with gasoline we zipped west
at the last minute i tossed the swimming suit out
shoved an extra pair of socks and underwear
into my health fair tote bag, shriveled from hot water
odometer needle pointed at 60MPH, i was surprised
to encounter a driver, arm rested on window sill at 55

Beclabito and Teec Nos Pos had horses in the streets
Red Mesa was our first stop, health center ribs
not yet stained by red sand, dwarfed twisted cedar
cruised through Mexican Water, across the bridge
up the hill, south on 191, tourist track towards Chinle
cows ambled through traffic towards Burger King

finally make it into Holbrook, sneak past Velosaraptor
miss the turn off that goes past Woody's, we end up
exiting on the next ramp, swing past the infamous
US66 wigwams, old autos used as parking dividers
internet says Native American Indians, no specific
tribe mentioned, lived in wigwams--very interesting

we zoom down through the canyon, weave around
fallen rocks, all the crosses i remember from before,
marking motor vehicle crash fatalities, no specific
names mentioned, are no longer there--removed
not as persistent as stucco cones, erected by Route
66-fifties nostalgia tribes, rampage west to CA

Tucson is humid, reportedly monsoons recently
have begun, ending a 39 day 100 degree heat streak
we pick up little sister and proceed to Tempe
admire all the new construction, reminisce about
visits to records stores, first dinners at restaurants
finally make our way to Dave's Inn, i mean Day's

we eat sushi, edamame and water, discover that
benadryl is an essential first aid kit component
and that downtown Scottsdale has no drug stores
Batucada is next, one hour early, forgot that Arizona
doesn't believe in daylight savings time, wonder
how they'll handle Bushy's new law extending it