tonight, they let the dog out not
knowing they’ll never let him in again.
a man brushes what’s left of her hair.
tonight, a man shits on the sidewalk. 
‍
tonight, the desert willow winks closed its
blossoms deciding how much the morning
needs its faces. a woman mourns the fatality of
youth, spreads honey in cracks tearing her chin.

tonight, they promise to try harder, standing on
their heads in the sand. a child explodes into starflower
wild over the desert floor. tonight, everyone clamors
on the abyss of the earth, sucking pebbles down to dirt.

‍
Published 2nd September, 2024.


devon fulford is a poet and educator. she has a doctorate in education and masters degrees in both creative writing and education. devon has published three poetry collections: southern atheist: oh, honey (cathexis northwest press, 2021), the skin song (bottlecap press, 2024), and gulp (red ogre review, forthcoming august 2024). other poems can be found in body literature, dead mule school of southern literature, longridge review, blood pudding press, indolent books, crosswinds poetry journal, and more.