fiat 500
my first car
compact cute
cheap to run
not great for moving
nor
transporting toby my large black labrador
sunroof had to stay open
toby's smiling head
ears flapping in the breeze
delighted in being the centre
of road attention a sort of
canine royalty
people waving pointing
fun times in the 70s
years went by
upgraded to
a convertible
great car
a different life
an interesting life
but not prepared to pay the price
moved on
to 
Aussie Sheila
the northern rivers
hippy trippy land
taught at southern cross university
for a while
(you can study surfing as a subject
at southern cross university)
then moved again
became a fully fledged
fair dinkum aussie sheila
in woop woop
out past the black stump
in the liverpool plains
sydney or the bush.....all or nothing
woop woop....middle of nowhere
past the black stump....remote place...the outback
fair dinkum.....genuine
Now that's quite a car-valcade! My mother's first car was a Fiat 500 in Athens. A temperamental car that sometimes just STOPPED, mule-like and obstinate. She had that experience in the centre of Athens outside the Grand Bretagne Hotel. A policeman approached and started blowing his whistle shouting at her to move on as she was blocking the traffic. She looked at him cool as a cucumber, and said something like: "I have been trying to, but the damn thing won't budge! Here!" And she gave him the keys. "You try and start it to move it if you can!" And she went into the hotel for a cup of coffee! Apparently he came in, gave her the keys telling her that the car was parked on the side of the street and apologised to her for being so rude to her (Mum was a really beautiful young woman then and the Hotel was the best in Athens - I think it still is).
ReplyDeleteHa....great story ! Your mother sounds very interesting. The Greek cops are very different to the Aussie ones. Hope she didn't try anything like that here:)
ReplyDeleteI love seeing you at all stopping points on your journey and the memories of cars like friends! - great, engaging wit and reflection- - Jae
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this! Especially the pic of your first car. LOL. I can SEE Toby's head emerging through the sun roof! Tricky when it rained, I imagine. I love all the Aussie terms - made me smile. This was a fun response to the prompt, I loved it so much.
ReplyDeleteOh what a feast of cars and love the dog with flapping ears be a canine royalty and that convertible is gorgeous as is the van and you look their like a genuine Aussie, head and all. Here in NZ they say wop wops instead of woop woop haha
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! This is my new favorite of your poems. I love the details, the suggestions, the descriptions, and the progression of cars up to being a real Aussie Sheila.
ReplyDeleteDifferent cars that served a purpose for various roads in the journey. I enjoyed reading this post. - Truedessa
ReplyDeleteLike your rides, Rall. I've never been very close to a Fiat. I've not had a new car since before we got married, 52 years plus. I kept my Convertible, it was a retirement present to me from myself in 2000. I retired in 2001, the car is a 1998 Ford Mustang GT 4.6. Before I bought it I test rode the car to make sure that it was quick and fast. It was fast to 140mph and then I backed off. This was on an Interstate in town with no other cars in sight. I also have my mom's car, a green 1974 Ford Mustang II Ghia, pristine with 67K miles. I worked for Ford and it was an executive's yearly trade in. Then the family car, a 2011 Cad DTS with 162K miles.
ReplyDeleteHa. This is quite a journey, Rall. Thanks for the smile. Love this poem.
ReplyDelete