By Dylan Hollingsworth
Sand and water
Dune and swale (if you’re fancy)
Indian grass, goldenrod, and aster line the byways
…………Train tracks and the locomotives themselves
Each with its own personality and way of doing things
…………Some more pushy, others more clingy—naturally
Sparrows congregating at the loropetalum in Ma’s front yard
Swooping up onto the gutters before perching on the fence to taunt Bentley
After that they head towards Gleason
And I think that actually sounds like a good idea
So
I go to Sharks and order a shrimp and wings combo
(because it allows for familiarity and variety)
I ask for two mild sauces
they do not fill the sauce cups more than halfway
I cannot blame them
I eat all of the fries first because I am practical
I park in Marquette’s loop for a scenic solo date with my remaining food
At dusk, I get to see a family of deer dancing on their way to Lake Michigan
The mother meets my gaze then vanishes
I receive another invitation to be grateful for this land
I get to say that I’m from here ■
This poem appears in The Gary Anthology, edited by Samuel Love, available now from Belt Publishing.
Cover image by Sam Love.
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