Associations

I think of a spot on I-40 whenever I read poetry written by men -
just before the Sweeten Creek exit -
is this because I want to go to grad school nearby,
or because I once read a poem while someone else drove,
or is there another association?

I used to think of an old boyfriend every time I processed work orders
from my desk in the closet.
We'd played a game with a couple he knew -
one he'd been friendly with with his first wife
(I was just his transitional girlfriend)
- and I'd think of his reaction to a question I'd been given.
It was a bluffing game,
was he surprised I hadn't been truthful?

I recommended to a friend of mine to try and find new associations,
but how easy is this?
I picture my head as a giant filing cabinet -
each time I open the draw,
the file gets larger.
What would happen if I set the whole thing on fire?

This is why people choose therapy,
or write poetry,
or get new wives -
to clear their heads of bad associations.
It's better than any alternative I know.