The old guy was driving a boat
And by that I mean a 1970 Eldorado
Dents, rust and wear don’t mean shit
To a tank like that
I had been keenly observing
For about ten minutes now
This defiant attempt
To parallel park
In a space made for a Miata
(not a Cadillac)
Window down, chomping on a cigar
The old guy kept saying ‘Oops’
As his boat scraped paint off adjacent vehicles
Back and forth
Like fingers down a chalkboard
A live exercise in Blue Book depreciation
“Oops” again
-Almost took off a side mirror
Thank God the owners weren’t here to see it

This went on for another fifteen
You couldn’t help but admire
The commitment
The insanity
Set amid an entangled stench
Of cigar smoke
Leaking oil
And brake pads
When he finally parked the damn thing
(having nudged everyone else a good four feet aside)
I thought he would be ready for his heart attack
Instead the old guy kicked open the steel door
And emerged, victorious
Removed his cigar for a moment to spit
Looked at me, proud
‘Semper fi, you sonovabitch’
Slammed the door
And went on his merry way

Ezy Reading is out every month.