Her fortune read,
“You will travel to many exotic places,”
so she left the restaurant,
got into her car
and drove until she was sleepy,
stopping at the Motel 6 in Redding
which wasn’t very exotic,
but it wasn’t home

and when she stopped the next day
in Bend,
she opted for lunch at
a Chinese buffet
where her fortune, this time,
told her “Every exit is an entrance to new experiences,”
so she left via the emergency door,
ignoring the loud alarm
and drove over the pass
to Springfield,
then on to Eugene,
stopping at an Asian market
where she bought an entire bag
of fortune cookies,
opened them all, one by one,
sitting on the queen bed
in the motel room
until she found just the one
she wanted —
leaving the next morning
heading south
going home

A retired educator, Nancy Haskett belongs to several poetry groups and is currently the vice president of the Modesto branch of the National League of American Penwomen. In addition to writing poetry, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with family.