A Country Hero
Phillip Harmston

Darkness not yet broken,
the chill of the night,
the smell of coffee in the air. 

He must part from her—
he is weeping,
she is sleeping. 

He knows he must start
the long haul ahead,
push to Tallahassee before bed. 

The engine roars to life,
smoke blows from the stack,
a prayer to God to have his back. 

World overtaken by pandemic,
store shelves empty overnight,
toilet paper gone, and people fight. 

The country needs him on its roads—
he runs the highway, drives a truck,
people don’t give a fuck. 

God, his only company,
he drives night and day,
love of country never fades. 

The silent trucker—
his load hot, people in dismay,
--tired, but not broken, keeps on his way.