Highway
written by: Dawn Pisturino
It was his way or the highway,
So she chose the highway.
She grabbed her backpack when he wasn’t looking
And thumbed her way down the mountain,
Not caring where she went,
Just glad to get away from him
And the poison he had forced her to take.
Her sweater covered the tracks on her arms
And the scar on her heart.
He had lied so many times!
The bruise on her cheek,
Now yellow with time,
Remained as a stark reminder of his love.
As he jabbed the needle into her vein,
He thrust the knife into her heart—
And when she overdosed one night and struggled to breathe,
She understood he would bury her in the woods
In an unmarked grave if she died.
When she finally reached L.A.
And thanked the driver who had driven her there,
Her hands shook like autumn leaves,
The chills hit her like an Arctic wind,
And her muscles cramped
Like a twisting rubber band.
She sat on a bench in front of the E.R.,
Hugging her shivering body,
Until a kind nurse smiled, held out her hand,
And escorted her into the hospital.
- Highway - September 18, 2024
- Forgiving and Forgetting - June 10, 2024
- Interview Q&A With Dawn Pisturino - April 18, 2024
