Richard Jones’s “Rest.” is a poem that whirs with the anxiety of a lonely drive in the dead of night. The piece comes to life because the speaker of the poem arrives at a level of humanity that many people never reach: empathy.
Going for a Ride
At a glance, the poem appears to be a rocky road with bumps, turns, and unexpected linear breaks. One stanza barrels down the page without taking heed of consistency or regularity. The lines haven’t been steamrolled into uniformity. The poem’s pavement is at times stretched and other times condensed, but it always provides an exciting ride through the speaker’s heartfelt realizations about humanity.
Alive in the Dead of Night
The poem invites the reader to go on a drive in the dead of night, so that everyone gets a chance to feel alive. The poem’s invitation pivots on a conditional verb in line 1: “could”. The speaker of the poem is alone on an “empty interstate” and “It’s so late [he] could cut [his] lights” (lines 3, 1). Does he? Will he? It is dark and ironically the speaker’s solution is to make it darker for “the next fifty miles” because without headlights he will be able to see the landscape by “starlight” (lines 2, 4). The speaker seems to be harkening back to the ancient seafaring navigators who made their way across the world with only the stars to guide them. Life is a part of a continuum and the speaker is enjoying the ride.
Building a Frame from History
After supplying the reader with a condition for happiness on the road, the speaker frames the motoring storyline with images of contemporary society’s permanent travelers. The speaker mentions
exit ramps lined
with eighteen wheelers
and truckers sleeping in their cabs. (lines 8-10)
For late night ramblers, the imagery of sleeper cabs parked on highway shoulders resonates. Although, the poetic reverberation is just beginning because after the initial framing the speaker flashes back to a time when he was driven solely by understanding.
To Care or to Creep?
The speaker recalls a time when he would look out for the safety of other drivers, and the effect teeters between creepy stalker and loving father. Once upon a time, the speaker would park “next to a family sleeping in a Chevy, / mom and dad up front, three kids in the back” and “keep watch over” them (lines 13-14, 17). Yes, there is a sense that the speaker is being watchful and aware for people who are not able, but it is hard to shake the idea that the speaker is slightly out of touch with social conventions. Who would want to wake up to see a man smoking “a cigarette” staring at them from the car next to them?
On the Road, Again
Fortunately for the reader, the poem diverts from its creepy course exiting on a perpendicular highway that leads to compassion. The speaker rhetorically admits that his motivation is a “compassion for their well being” (line 20). Compassion slowly emerges as the overarching theme of the piece as the reader is presented with speaker who has moved from a creepy keeper of strangers’ well-being to a father who studies “the small, peaceful faces / of [his] beloved darlings” (lines 27-28). As the speaker’s humanity is illuminated through his “paternal concern”, the poem shifts into a higher gear of human understanding: humor (line 19).
Just for Laughs
The speaker of the poem wears many different hats, moving from creep to compassionate care-giver to comedian. Soon the reader finds the speaker comically “standing on the running board” of an 18-wheeler “tapping on the window, / asking, Is everything okay?” (lines 31, 32-33). Thankfully, everything is okay as soon as the reader stops laughing and gets back to the piece. Simultaneously, the speaker also gets back to reality, as he finishes building his “truck” frame and refuels with “a second wind / and […] an all-night country station (lines 39-40). The piece winds downs as the speaker realizes that he’ll “be home by dawn” and back to his “beloved darlings” (lines 43, 28).
Caring Isn’t Creepy
Despite the speaker of the poem briefly taking on the personality traits of Chester the Molester, “Rest.” provides a break from coldhearted reality of traveling alone in reinforced, metal cages on wheels. Through the speaker’s empathy, a well-intentioned reader should be less afraid to “cut the lights” and drive all night stopping occasionally to make sure the world is a safer place. Never be afraid to take a break, stretch your arms and legs, and care about total strangers.
Source:
- Jones, Richard. "Rest." The Correct Spelling & Exact Meaning. Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon, 2010. Print.
Matthew Birdsall - Matt is a reader, writer, teacher, lover, and liver, not necessarily in that order. He is eager to read your comments and hopes you enjoy ...
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