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Something Sticky at Stuckey's
by Rusty C Arquette
On a road trip north
we stopped
a brief rest from the road
taking on
and dropping off fluids
the stop
was a place familiar
in the south of the 50s
a Stuckeys
a gift shop, restaurant,
and gas station
combination
they also made candy
one of the big attractions
was something called
a Nut Log
candy of some sort
rolled in crushed and
broken nuts
variety unknown
I hadnt seen one before
but when I ran in
to use the bathroom
I found one floating
a long cylindrical shaped
soggy nut log,
in the mens room bowl
staring up at me
expressionless,
like a blind Mullet
dressed in one of Elton Johns
old spangled suits
I, the curious ten year old,
stared back,
wondering
Id never seen a nut log
so it didnt quite appear
to be what should
in reality
be floating there,
round, brown,
forlorn and forgotten
I tried to flush it
it wouldnt go down
it spun round and round
in slow circles
staring up at me with its
one good eye
it creeped me out
I left the mens room
frustrated and nauseated
the combination of sugar
wafting through the air
and the odors of human waste
made for some wicked
undulations in my
ten year old gut
not sure what Id seen
I left
feeling a bit dazed
and wobbled back to
join the family
we sat at a food counter
I had a burger
some fires
drank a soda
looked at the
junky funky souvenirs
and then refreshed
climbed back
into the family car
to continue the trip
an hour passed
my brother and I
grew tired of the scenery
and had started to pick
at each other
mom decided to keep
my old man from imploding
by distracting us before
we could set him off
I had put the image
of the artifact
in the toilet behind me
mom said cheerily,
you boys like a treat?
something sweet for
my sweeties?
sure! we responded
and scooted up to the back
of the front seat
she handed
something to Jon
then she gave me something
I dropped back
on the seat smiling
but my smile dissolved
into stunned
shed gotten me
a Nut Log!
two weeks later
after our trip was over
it was found stuck to
the floor under the
car seat
covered with ants
mom was pissed
it was hard to clean up,
but not nearly as bad
as the mess that
would have been there
had I actually tried
to eat it
I shiver
toilet logs!
argh!
05/22/2005 Author's Note: I can't even look at one of those things to this day!
Posted on 05/22/2005
Copyright © 2024 Rusty C Arquette
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Anne Engelen on 05/22/05 at 04:35 PM i know what to get you for christmas :P LOL |
| Posted by Jane E Pearce on 05/22/05 at 06:50 PM Loved this-yeah, I remember Stuckey's on our trips south and those gooey sweets. |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 05/26/05 at 12:56 AM Although I've never been much for bodily functions or related material in verse, your fine poetic storytelling has turned this into a sweet and humorous blast from the past Rusty. |
| Posted by Charles E Minshall on 05/26/05 at 02:26 AM I've heard of log in and log out even log cabins
but this is something else....Charlie |
| Posted by David Hill on 05/28/05 at 12:38 AM It is easy to relate to this experience. Rich in Americana. |
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