Gator Speed Bumps by Matthew McGuirk

Traffic is light for a Tuesday commute, It’s busy for a Tuesday,

the only deterrent are those gator speed bumps the road smattered with city folk

snapping at tires coming too close. honkin’ and movin’ too slow.

Wiry trees are light posts out of All the trees are metal here

boggy sidewalks and long tongued pedestrians and the roadsides are takin’ up

hop, ribbit and snatch up a quick meal by people sellin’ stuff,

on their way to work. calling out food names that don’t look tasty.

Parking tickets are smeared The air is thick with a coughin’ fog,

green across windshields somethin’ like too many fried bugs

by buzzing patrolmen. on that zapper.

The houses are metal, The houses are as tall as trees

some with roofs that reflect and as grey as a road

and others like stationary subway cars. when you drive too far from home. They all live so far out, They all live so close, you could reach out and take

where is the next house a shirt from a neighbor’s line,

if something goes wrong? if they had one.

Out of our way, but we’re hungry, I’m not sure how people pick

this diner looks like it might stay standing because there are so many choices,

until our lunch is done. but this one looks fine.

It looks like they’ve got beer It looks like they’ve got beer

and a bunch of food too! and a bunch of food too!

Well, at least something makes sense here. Well, at least something makes sense here.

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Matt McGuirk teaches and lives with his family in New Hampshire. BOTN 2021 nominee with words in various lit mags and a debut collection with Alien Buddha Press called Daydreams, Obsessions, Realities available on Amazon and linked on his website.

Website: http://linktr.ee/McGuirkMatthew Twitter: @McguirkMatthew Instagram: @mcguirk_matthew.