Editor’s note: The following poem was submitted by Robert K. Wineland of Alexandria in response to a cover story Virginia Business ran last October on the proposed widening of I-81.

The Road from Hell
by Robert K. Wineland

The Road from Hell
Runs North
From Johnson City, Tennessee,
Through the Great Smoky Mountains
Into the shining valley of the Shenandoah
Where green fields nurture cozy white houses
And life seems comfortable
And peaceful.
The road from Hell
Cuts through it all
Slices the scenery in two
Blue mountains to the West
Rolling farmlands to the East
What a lovely setting for U.S. 81
And its army of speeding 18-wheelers.
Careening, headlights blazing
They rush up behind your car
At 75, 85 miles per hour
Move over or be crushed!
Like uncontrolled missiles
They cover all lanes,
Show no mercy.
This is no place for a family car
It is a giant slot, a conveyor belt
Built for trucks
Where the South’s goods
Are rocketed northward
Ordinary people in ordinary cars
Should stay away from # 81
You are fighting Titans
Your survival is at stake
Fatal crashes can be the price of admission
To the Road From Hell!
If speed is time
Big trucks will always win
With those in power!
So who cares about the little people
Who travel the Road from Hell?