I’m rocked
by your splendor.

Tears gather strength,
seeking release.
A choke in my constricted throat
as I’m overwhelmed
(and humbled)
by the raw power
you exude
at every twist and juncture
of this crazy road
as higher
and higher
we drive
into a world
and a creation
as alien and sparse
as Jupiter’s landscape
to wandering Neptunians.

You enthrall
and terrorize me.
I’m captivated
and frightened.
I’m bewitched.

Switchbacks
and drop-offs.
Cold feet
amid hairpin turns.
My four chambers
ratcheting wildly.
Nothing else matters
at this moment.
You make me aware
of what it means to be alive.