She sees the blue
In the back
And it could be him
He stays up all night
Drinking
With flashing lights on
Got written up twice
But they forgot
To write his thirst away
He told her if she ran
He’d run after her all night
And the highway is his
Just like everything else
She only stopped twice
To grab coffee
So she could go straight
To her sister’s in Fort Lee
When he’d threaten her
He’d tell her
There were guns
All over the house
But she couldn’t find any
When she started
Tearing the house apart
A steak knife
Was the best she could do
And a can of hairspray
She’d use as mace
If it came right down to it
Her runaway bag
Looks like it was packed
By someone
Who’s never run before
Just so she doesn’t panic
She puts on Chuck Berry
To see if she can trick herself
Into thinking
It’s all going to be all right
She borrowed the neighbor’s car
And that was after begging for three days
Because the neighbor’s nice
But he wanted something for something
Before he would loan it out
And she had to flirt hard
And make some promises
She’s never going to keep
At least this way
He won’t be able to report
The car stolen
And get her that way
She’s not good
At thinking about the nitty gritty
Which is pretty fucking dangerous
If all it takes is one detail
To throw you off the line
The blue light might not be him
But she won’t know if it is or not
Until she pulls over
And then what’s to stop him
From firing a round through the window
And telling his boss he thought he saw a gun?
He’s done it before
Not to a woman
And not to someone he’s married to
But cops in New Jersey
Are like cops everywhere
They won’t give permission
But they’re generous
With their forgiveness
When it comes
To one of their own
That’s why she’s never
Called in about him
Or said anything
When his buddies come by
To barbecue every summer
And notice the black eyes
And the bruises
When it first started
She hoped maybe one of them
Would have an attack of conscience
And the white hats would show up
But the doorbell never rang
And fists never loosened up
So she knew it was all on her
Chuck Berry is midway through
“Little Queenie” when she knows
She’s gotta pull over
There’s no running from a cop
No matter which cop it is
She stops the car
Kills the engine
And the blue light keeps moving
Until the car is side-by-side with hers
And she imagines the bullet
Coming through his driver’s side window
Past her passenger side
Right through the heart
That broke two years ago
The first time she smiled at him
And he asked her why
The window rolls down
The officer driving looks older
And a little bit like her dad
But only a little bit
‘You were swerving a little
You good?’
She says she is
He tells her to take it easy
Doesn’t seem like compassion
Just bigger fish to fry
Down the road
He takes off
And now the sirens are going too
Definitely a pressing matter
More pressing
Than a woman driving erratically
Down a highway in New Jersey
With her make-up all fucked up
And her fingernail polish chipped
And a steak knife
In the glove compartment
She’ll make it to Fort Lee
But after that
She doesn’t know
She doesn’t know
If she should just keep driving
All night
Hitting up the open places
To grab a burger
A pack of smokes
And something to wipe
Her lipstick off
It’s not like
She’s gonna
Need it
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