On the Road to Baltimore City
Lore Hera

Take me back to the land
where my yearnings were born.
To Baltimore where they live,
then back to New York once more

On the road, a four hour drive.
The highway's length could make us drowse,
but our music makes us alive.

Two in front, driver and one with bags on lap.
One in the back, leaned on cooler.
Luggage fills the remaining space,
with props and bags galore.

The con starts tomorrow,
our energy on high,
Japanese music on the CD player -
and pocky makes us feel we could fly.
"Hurry Otaku, there's only 53 hours of the con left!"
We all recall Marty's words with dread.
It's still early Thursday -
yet we rush ahead.

"Coming closer"
Hyde now sings.
It matches the trip.
"Hurry on, hurry on, time. Its going so fast."
We listen and we hurry.

"Ready steady go"
The masculine voice sings,
we laugh and dictate the opening credits -
even as we try to sing along.

Passing the DMB.
I flip to a new CD.
From Larc~en~ceil
to Utada Hikaru's Passion.
My sanctuary, My sanctuary now.
Holiday Inn.
Inner Harbor.
My sanctuary.
Here we come.

The con starts Friday,
badge pick up's today.
We pull up to the hotel -
the familiar rounded driveway.
Two girls with cat ears -
flash year old badges our way.

We rely in kind,
holding badges in the wind,
flapping and flying like hands a waving.

Vash walks past with a female Edward Elric
LOVE AND PACE, clap and slap.
A male Ed from Bebop dashes past, This is Edward's father person!
Heading to the room, just long enough to set down bags,
fish drinks out of the cooler -
stock up on ice.

Then out to the hot August sun.
July this coming year,
will it be the only one?
But the pasts were all Augusts as we walked through the heat -
Stopping to snap pictures
of Captain Harlock, or Kairi across the street.

Get on the line by 3, it moves at 5.
We wait until 6 or 7,
to finally go inside.
Then lines for an hour more.
five bucks for diet coke because it's cold.
Our ice has become water -
lost to the sun's firey hold.

We watch happy Otaku leave with badges and bags
We check the sign and prepare
an hour left, we're nearly there

We read the weapons policy, for lack of things to do
then we see the badges, and choose our favorite two.
Will it be Aa Megami-sama as my first year was
Or Kyo Kara Maoh, or Maborahou, or even Stand Alone?
or badge, our identity -
for the next 53 hours time.
Pick up bag and badge,
thrilled to step out of line

Back down the stairs and then we wait.
An ID check is almost too late.
Finally the lost items are retrieved.
We return to the hotel for a Chinese food reprieve.

We know what's to come,
we know what's in store.
No matter how much money we brought,
we'd only dream of 20 dollars more.
The crowds and the traffic -
lines for another day.
But now we rest,
all Con sleeping done on Thurs and Sunday