Same Lane

I hadn't driven that stretch in three years.

Work thing. A detour.

The signs were exactly what I remembered,

which was somehow worse.

The plaza came up. I moved left

without deciding to.

Third lane from the right.

The lane I always took.

Median still cracked in the same place.

The blue sign with the peel

on the lower-left corner.

I'd expected something different.

There was nothing different.

I handed the card through the window.

The attendant didn't look up.

I pulled through and merged.

The sign got small in the mirror.

I don't know what I wanted it to do.