A rusty truck ambles down
A peaceful expanse of dirt road
Wheezing and coughing and sputtering.

It passes leafy, lanky trees
Swaying gracefully in the warm, humid air
Stray branches
Crunching under its worn treads

And through shallow, mucky puddles
Left from a mid autumn rain
Spewing mud droplets in its wake.

Now the rusty truck slows to a soft halt
Perhaps for a trip down the scenic path in the woods
Immersed in scent
From the wildflowers nearby?

No, of course not. The driver stops
To scarf down the burgers and fries
Courtesy of the drive-thru
Under the golden arches
Of a local McDonald’s.