My neon flickers,
but still reads VACANCY.
I am a motel of emotions,
hidden from the Interstate,
found only when wandering back roads.

Lost? Lonely?
Low on funds?
Leaning into your limits?
There's a room for you–
small, clean,
with heat, hot water, genuine rest for the night.

For those unafraid to feel,
I offer refuge, sanctuary, asylum–
more safe house than bed-and-breakfast,
not so much a motel as an emote-tel.

Don't open your wallet,
open your heart:
twin beds or king?

Text and image © 2012 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.