Traveling by Map

First you’ll need a map
     don’t use the ones you get for free
you may think there is no map
     but that will only make it harder
search old shelves, gadget boxes, throw away zones
     washed up wishing wells;
trust the sides of broken bottle highways
     where millionaires discard their jewels
and if you find one drawn by hand
     and if its lines keep disappearing
and if it’s lakes leak streams of blue
     if the words float wide across it’s oceans
pick it up
it’s yours
take it.

Now take that map and walk inside
     let it’s nowhere roads abduct you
feel it’s paper cities under your toes
     patter down the interstates
drench yourself in those waterless lakes
     dry off on their ink lined shores
look closely for the townspeople
     peeking out behind the words
rest between the careless folds
     fall though the holes
make your north go south
     let your shoes
     follow you in.

Once you know
     where you are going
cross your oceans
     in a windshield wiper stroke
observe your continents
     drifting in a morning’s coffee
see those lines run off the page into
     the architecture of trees
use the compass of the sun
     but be glad you’re on a planet
with roads to take you where
(as you knew all along)
there is no
map.