Hitchhikers in Mississippi, 1936, by Lennart Lundh

Hitchhikers Near Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1936, photography by Walker Evans (USA), 1936.

 
Hitchhikers in Mississippi, 1936
 
The trees have forgotten summer,
have drawn up slim and dark
against the morning's gray cold,
like the woman standing by the man.
 
The canvas bag at their feet
shows black beneath the dust.
It holds everything but the clothes
they've worn since yesterday;
her purse, its emptiness punctuated
by handkerchief and hairbrush;
and the cigarettes and matches
a stranger gave him last night.
 
They are husband and wife, or lovers.
They are childhood sweethearts
become best friends against adversity.
Or supplicants, praying for tomorrow.
 
The road behind them curls
like a river taking the easy way,
not really caring where it goes
as long as it's someplace else.
 
Lennart Lundh

This poem was first published in Hitchhikers in Mississippi, 1936, by Lennart Lundh.

Lennart Lundh is a poet, short-fictionist, historian, and photographer. His work has appeared internationally since 1965. Len can be found on Facebook, and his books are available from the VisionsWords store on Etsy, as well as on Amazon.