Every time you and I went on a long trip,
we would make up stories,
me in the back,
strapped in to a car seat,
and you in the front,
one hand on the steering wheel
and the other hand on the radio dial,
always fiddling with it until you found a station
that was playing good music.

We’d sing along for a little bit
to the Eagles, The Who, and the Doobie Brothers.
you’d sing along, you were always off pitch
because you knew it would make me laugh
and I’d hum along,
not knowing the words enough to sing them
You hated commercials
couldn’t stand the high pitched voices
and pointless products.

So at every commercial break
you would mute the radio,
and we would work on a story.
You’d ask me questions about the characters,
the place, and the time.
I would come up with characters,
mostly princesses in castles.
You would act as the gallant prince
come to save me,
the princess locked in a high tower.

We would never write them down,
but I still remember them well
and after we came home,9
Mommy would ask what the story was today.
You would glance down at me
and I up at you.
We would both smile,
and I would feign zipping my lips.