Permanence Stuck to the Bumper

the car seat next to me sits bare

in untouched space in the form of glass molded to the curves of the car,

an unoccupied lair;

silence echoes through the stillness of the ride going home, or nowhere i can be found

there’s no laughter, no chatter, no company to see

just the hum of the engine,

the sound of the road,

a commute in routine

sheltered by a piece of steal wanting to kill me

the moment i drive off this cliff and into a tree