Poetry: Unreported and Next to Last Time

Nelson2
 

Unreported

An incident, I was in
a bus, the only person
on the bus, the driver in Burger King
not washing
his hands, when a man
not the driver
sat down, shut the door
looked around for the on switch
and found it.

It was days-old
BO, the BO of bacon
of dog hair, of dirt
every lie told his mother
every dime in a shoe
box, nickel and copper
the way that he smelled.

When it was over
I did not repeat
not to the officers, not
to the reporters, I did not
repeat what we said
while he drove me around.
 

____________________________________

 

Next to Last Time

Pheasants flush […]


Subscribers can read the full version by logging in.
Not a subscriber? Sequestrum is a pay-what-you-can journal:
Our rates are variable so that everyone can enjoy outstanding literature.
Access this and all publications (and submit for free).

Subscribe Today



 

____________________________________

Kelly Nelson is the author of the forthcoming chapbook Rivers I Don’t Live By, winner of the 2013 Concrete Wolf Chapbook Award. She also has work forthcoming in I-70 Review, Bluestem, Boktor and Another Chicago Magazine. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and teaches Interdisciplinary Studies at Arizona State University. Learn more about Kelly here.