ambulance sirens

i made the mistake
of telling the tale
bout my mothers penchant
for perking up
and packing us up
in our grocery-getter
to follow the low howl sounds
of emergency vehicles
move in their small packs
across the packed suburban streets.

now every time you hear one
you shout

hooray!
its not for me!
get in the car dammit
were gonna go see some action!

i try to revise history
and say my mom wasnt that excited.

during the warm months
the early ones
it was a sinch to get you
in the sedan

and wed ride to some innocuous
part of the neighborhood
only to see that it was an old lady
or man or couple
who had fallen and couldnt get up

after you came home with portable
cancer killing hardware
we made attempts to shove it all
with you perched up in your
robe and favorite band shirt
in the backseat

but you stopped me

were too slow for the chase

you said

fuck it
lets highjack our own ambulance
you put me in the back
like farrah faucett
in that one movie you watch all the time
and well chase them fuckers down
and you offer help
and when they try to stick someone
back here ill shout

all aboard the soul train!