C. T. Suddeth

 

My mother, Mary Katherine Pait Suddeth, left for the Summer Lands in 2011.

June in Triplicate

Charles Suddeth

1957

Dad hated the daytime,

He always drove in the night,

Through dark Hoosier towns,

Mom asleep in the backseat.

Dad said the diners stank,

We passed them all by,

I fiddled with the radio,

Listened to “Ramblin’ Rose.”

1966

Dad still drove through the night,

Mom still asleep in the backseat.

At a New York truck stop,

We choked down stale coffee.

Mom decided to stretch her legs.

We drove off in the dark,

She still stood in the parking lot,

Trembling hands on hips,

I found a radio station,

They played “Ramblin’ Rose.”

2011

Dad chose to leave us,

Left me to drive all alone

Through life’s dark nights,

Mom never forgot New York.

She finally joined Dad,

Somewhere on a radio,

“Ramblin’ Rose” is playing.