They tell me to ride bitch in Jacob’s mini Nissan truck. We jam out to Metallica’s Black Album. I ask why Walmart instead of the pool. Chillin’ and killin’ it, they say.         
              We look at knives and guns. I didn’t know Wally World sold weapons. Damn. I need to tell dad he’s paying too much for bullets. Alfredo and Jacob snag some small Lego spaceships and stuff the plastic bags in their carpenter pants, go back to the weapons counter. They buy some shotgun shells. I buy a Boyz II Men cd. The brothers look at me cockeyed. We sit at the tables outside with our McDonald’s meal deals and milkshakes, stare at Trinidad Lake. I ask why Legos. They say for their younger primos.
             On the way home I ride bitch again. Jacob sparks “Enter Sandman.” Our necks ache. We let the milkshakes fly, paint I-25.
             Our dads don’t give a rat’s ass as long we’re back to shovel cow shit.

When not teaching at the Community College of Denver, Brian Dickson avoids driving as much as possible to traipse around the front range region by foot, bike, bus or light-rail with kids in tow. He is also an associate editor for New Feathers Anthology and chief editor for Ourglass, CCD’s student literary journal.