Heading to Denver

“No place like home” or so the saying goes. When you leave home for an extended period of time – all you can think about is getting back to where it is familiar to you. The one place that knows your success and failures. The place where you have found and lost love. That place for me sits at the foot of the Colorado Rocky Mountains – that place is Denver.

Heading to Denver
Sun is setting in the west Rockies behind me,
Traveling down I-70 and closer to Denver by degree.
Autumn air is crisp and clear—Denver is my destination,
Doing 85 on pavement two lane looking for a gas station.
Passing west bound trains that have no names,
Cars with kids playing traveling road sign games.
Full tank now in the town that almost wasn’t—Parachute,
Proposition at the truck stop by sad and lonely prostitute.
Giving her a five spot telling her I was not her ride,
Her shoulders slumped—a woman who lost her pride.
Back on the road trying to out think the highway patrol,
Trying to slow down to miss the many in road potholes.
Reaching into the cooler with no ice for a Coors brew.
Darkness descends – good evening Colorado how are you?
Slowing down to pass the town of Glenwood Springs,
Mind jumbled with crazy thoughts and just weird things.
Rolling along past houses, mountains, canyons, and farms,
Done 400 miles and now there are cramps in my arms.
Waylon on the radio and my head a buzz with Coors beer,
Trying to stay awake and not hit a crossing elk or deer.
Now on my south side the high and fancy town of Vail,
East bound for Denver driving through lightning and hail.
Radio signal now mountain lost – now CD’s is all I got,
A little Willy, maybe some John Denver is now my thought.
On top of the mountain and in the thin air is the timberline,
Another mile to Eisenhower Tunnel says the roadside sign.
Passing on the north in Idaho Springs is the Argo Gold Mine,
Eastern full moon rising now just above the 35 mile Denver sign.
Feeling the wheels rumbling beneath the trucks floor,
And the cold mountain air seeps through the trucks door.
Avoiding runaway semi’s that have lost their brakes on Floyd Hill,
Finally, see the Denver city lights orange glow—How I love them still.

Kurt James
Kurt James © 2019

Where to purchase Kurt James novels and books:

https://www.amazon.com/Kurt-James/e/B01DTOJ7KC?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1574033906&sr=8-1

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Kurt James

The rugged beauty of the Colorado Rockies foothills shaped Kurt James’ life from birth, with the ever-present sight of snow-capped peaks and the constant whisper of the wind. Having spent twenty years amidst the wide-open spaces of South Dakota, Kurt’s connection to his family’s western Kansas heritage remains strong; he recalls the tallgrass prairie and the endless blue skies. Over time, Mr. James developed a deep appreciation for the landscapes and history of the American West,spending countless hours exploring its rugged beauty and studying its unique culture.

The Denver Post, PM Magazine, and 9NEWS, all well-known Denver, Colorado media sources, have highlighted the powerful and evocative work of poet and novelist Kurt James. Focusing on Old West history, Kurt contributes feature articles to HubPages and Creative Exiles, exploring the eerie silence of ghost towns, the thrilling tales of outlaws and gunfighters, and the evocative imagery found in the Rocky Mountains.

Kurt’s early admiration for writers such as Jack London, Louis L’Amour, and Max Brand played a significant role in honing his skills as a storyteller. Twenty-one books (and counting!) transport readers to the Colorado Rockies and the Old West through Kurt’s vivid descriptions; the feel of rough-hewn cabins, the sounds of coyotes howling under starry skies, and the smells of campfire smoke and sagebrush are all palpable.

Find Kurt James novels, short stories, reference books, and poetry—published by Midnight Wind Publishing—in print copies or digital downloads at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and other excellent bookstores; explore the diverse range of formats available.

Currently in production - The 10th book in his Rocky Mountain Series - Lee Moomaw Former Lawman.

Kurt is a proud member of the Western Writers of America, a group that values storytelling.

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Latest posts by Kurt James (see all)

• Riding the Timberline - May 26, 2025
• Digging up Dreams - September 16, 2024
• As the Years Roll By - November 15, 2023