A new diner

off little river turnpike
open 4 lanes, looks
like Virginia when
it moves south
becomes flat,
lays itself out,
goes forward into
the real south
finally, firmly
out of DC
to become real--

not planned constructed
white washed
cluster of white collar
suburbs high tower
suburbs
and everyone living
in some condo-hotel
purgatory like apartment situation
where years go by feeling like
you're on vacation never home
and suddenly you've got nothing--

and then up ahead dust covered open--
roads less than 10 minutes out
squat colonial style red shingled single
storey cross-hatched white painted
windows breakfast specials coffee
smells and something like true american
landscape brings you home--

while not very far away the
white dome glistens the capital
street burns the monuments watch
and Washington keeps on going,
painted white, replete with statues
of old gray dead men,
living out it's own fantasy,
it's strange desert existence,
surrounded by the oasis of the living,
casting its antiquated mirage.