k town
by Cecilia Seiter

on Western, the sound of engine revs and beating hearts —

i grip the steering wheel,
free hand drumming
the top of my thigh to the symphony of
blinking stoplights.

i am my own tour guide today:

here is where they’d sell the cream and honeycomb

this is where the strange man saw his God

on this corner here
i hugged you, hating you,
knowing that as soon as i pulled loose
we would be strangers.

the men who sell roses
weaving through the clogged arteries of
idle cars
never stop smiling,
so i don’t, either —

i step on the gas,
the wisp of
nights that used to leave me breathless
hanging like a phantom
in the smoky, arid sky.

Cecilia Seiter is a freelance writer and poet. She is the author of Summer Fruit, a collection of heartbroken and hopeful poetry, and Man Made Hunter, a young adult science fiction novel. You can find her on Instagram at @cicipuede.