I was in a nuclear submarine, the old man said as we drove west on 94, how many people can say that?, he cleared his throat…always large wads of flem coming-up…wiped into a handkerchief..

I was at the bottom of the ocean…working on this dude and octopus tentacles kept coming up through the iron openings…you drop a wrench and you can kiss that baby goodbye…..

we drove on into the summer’s night with the sun going-down before us while silence dragged and mixed with cool air from dashboard vents…

I was working on an oil drill in the ocean..over there in Texas….all the way down to the floor…just an iron grid separating me from death…how many people can say that?, cleared his throat again, you drop a wrench in that dude and you can kiss it goodbye, pop looked out the window…we went back to silence…

I like watching The Discovery Channel, he said, lots of interesting things…like shows on the ocean…the work done out there…just a grid separating you from death.., he cleared his scratchy throat again, I don’t know how those guys do it….

the sun was gone now…and quiet was kept for a while…just quiet…, You know I once worked on a fishing boat out in the middle of the ocean…up in Alaska….

and in the pitch black I drove…