Penn's woods

crossing the state line 
into Pennsylvania i spotted
William Penn. he was waving 
like a Miss America with his wrist.
i was surprised other cars
didn't see him,
what with the lush hair,
big black hat, & the frilly 
scarf thing men used to 
wear in the 1700s a cravat.
i pulled over out of respect
& he hopped right in,
folding his hands in his lap 
& toying with the radio.
How do you know what a radio is?
i asked & he didn't answer,
just kept turning knobs
& buttons. 
It's broken
i explained & he sunk
back in the seat, grumpily
rolling the window up & down.
i admitted to him
that i didn't really know
anything about him 
other than that Pennsylvania 
is named after him &
that he was a Quaker.
i say 
We learned about you 
in 3rd grade, i know we did.
At a roadside diner i help 
him out of the car.
i had been hoping he would
ask to get off somewhere
but he showed no 
indication of parting ways.
he finally spoke when 
we ordered food,
just a bowl of oatmeal.
i tell him that i like
oatmeal too but he doesn't listen.
i ordered a toasted bagel
with grape jelly.
i say 
You're not very good
company are you?
& he speaks with the voice
of young girl, answering
You didn't pick me
up for company.
he draws plans for
Philadelphia on the back
of a brown paper napkin.
he points to the streets,
just nodding at me.
finally he asks
What brings you home?
i shrug & take a sip
of coffee, looking
out the window at the cars
on the freeway. 
Family, it's a holiday, you know?
he nods. there's 
probably dozens of routes 
from New York to Pennsylvania
but every time my GPS
takes me a different way
so it feel like a different trip,
not much like coming home.
he takes my hands & says,
This is going to be 
a beautiful city.
as he points to the napkin.