A Milwaukee elf
A most delicate visage
Donned in coat and jeans

Like a grey-haired child
Brown pillowcase shoulder-slung
Journey's possessions

Wisconsin has tanks!
Fields of rusting behemoths
Relics of old wars

Weathered museum
Along the highway it sits
Discarded weapons

Waukegan city
Suburbs and fast food places
No grocery stores

Know what else there are?
Dunkin Donuts everywhere
I'm not kidding you

"Bong Rec Area"
That's an unfortunate name
Pretty funny though

Actual red barns
Furrowed fields and old silos
Agricultural

Oh my god, it's snow
Great blowing drifts dust the earth
Blood's too thin for this

An inhuman wind
These clothes are not thick enough
My thighs have gone numb...

Tree tips like fine lace
The buds of Spring now entombed
Fields striped brown and white

Lots of Latinos
Signs bilingual or Spanish
Rather surprising

Road salt comes flying
Cavalcade of dings and tinks
Impacts felt through feet

Ice-encrusted cars
Small clumps of snow cling wetly
Cold film seals doors

A world lost in fog
Tiny flakes blow down on us
Dandruff of winter

Train to Chicago
Two-storied passenger cars
Windows tinted green

A trip to Hooters
Sis has a friend who works there
A brief reunion

Bricks tell of the past
A legendary city
Kind of slummy, though

Flanagan's diner
An Irish place, in theory
But they had sushi

A trip, long and short
We must make our way back home
Leave the ice behind

Our take-off delayed
The plane had to be de-iced
A slight change of plans

A blood-red sunset
Flying high above the clouds
A vague horizon

Nearly missed our plane
Though we barely made our flight,
Dad's luggage did not

A long airport wait
Will the bag catch the next flight?
It missed that one, too

Got back at midnight
An end to a long journey
It's good to be home