On a Bus To Atlanta
Past midnight,
the miles unwind
at a sluggish pace.
Heads sway
with each subtle
lane change.
All around,
conversations die
in mid-sentence
leaving silence.
Then, without notice,
my teenage son
curls like a baby
and falls asleep
across my lap.
Our closeness,
lost so long ago,
gives warmth
that this stranger
still needs Dad.