PARADELLE ANTHOLOGY

Talking to Nobody Outside Chicago

28 Kathryn Byer Talking to Nobody Outside Chicago —An AlmostParadelle for my daughter The trucks on Interstate 65 go thundering by. The trucks on Interstate 65 go thundering by. Now, one by one, the lights in the sky turn into planes. Now, one by one, the lights in the sky turn into planes. Thundering, the planes turn into trucks on Interstate 65. Now the lights one by one in the sky go by. Tonight our car is laden with our daughter’s belongings. Tonight our car is laden with our daughter’s belongings. We are driving her back to Chicago. We are driving her back to Chicago. Tonight Chicago is driving our car, our daughter. Laden with belonging we are, backs to her. How many more times will I have to say goodbye? How many more times will I have to say goodbye? Nobody’s talking. Not even the radio. Nobody’s talking. Not even the radio. How many radios talking to nobodies? (Even more goodbyes?) I will not have the time to say “Go back” to planes, trucks, cars thundering into lights. Laden with belonging, not even our daughter is talking. By and by in Chicago, I will have to say more goodbyes. How many? One to her, one to the sky. Now time is driving Interstate 65. Turn on the radio! Let’s be nobody’s tonight. ...