Trucking with "Heart"

Mile markers tick by as time suspends

on this endless road from here to there.

Carcasses of whitetails and strips of black wall

litter the shoulders while the vultures soar

overhead in anticipation of dinner.

We pass big rigs, too numerous to count,

everyone on their way to somewhere else.

Traffic slows as gawkers rubberneck a semi pulled

over ahead, flames shooting from a locked wheel.

Driver fumbles the cab for an extinguisher—too late.

We hear the tire “POP” as we pass by.

We pass another truck; traffic slows in our lane

and he passes us. Now his lane slows and we

are side-by-side. The words “Make-A-Wish”

catch our attention. Names, too numerous to count,

encircle the words and cover the side

and we conclude that these are the children

who 'got' their wishes; for many, their last.

Catching the driver’s eye, I point to the names,

mouth the words “Thank you,” and give a big

thumbs up. He smiles, waves back, and is left

somewhere in the slower traffic behind us.

And me? My heart is filled; renewed by this reminder

there is still much kindness this world, after all!

© Ginny Brannan 2018

Eight hours into our “6-1/2 hour trip” from Massachusetts to Carlisle, PA on 8/09/18, while stuck in rush hour traffic near Harrisburg, we passed this truck. The date we saw was current, 2018 being the 17^thyear they’ve done this. Anyone who works to put a smile on some child’s face, to give a family a lovely memory to hold onto, is okay in my book!!

My personal thanks to all who volunteer and fundraise for the Make-A-Wish foundation and other such charities for the children. My young cousin was gifted with a trip for her little boy before he passed, and I know how much it meant to them.

More on this particular Make-A-Wish convoy can be found here: https://fox43.com/2018/05/06/truck-convoy-for-wishes-rolls-through-adams-county/