Flat. Distant. Blue.
There were parallel deep gouges
in the bark of a red maple. She had
lip gloss rolled up in a sleeve
of her shirt as though it were
a pack of cigarettes. The way
they played table tennis was more
competitive than necessary.
Was he old enough or should
she wait for a hotter stranger?
The red dragonfly seen earlier
did not put in a second appearance
except in the mind. The August
sunlight was infinite but not
everywhere. Even when natural
selection was not needed it
continued to operate. There was
live virus on the paddles, on
the table, same as always. He
told her to be a little more
realistic. A chunk of glass threw
up a twist of light on the side
of a paint can. The Earth advanced
in its orbit infinitesimally slower
each time. She talked about someone
he didn’t know in a dismissive
manner, her teeth shone against
her lips. They didn’t see a reason
to remember this afternoon with
a selfie this time. Some famous
person had died far away,
they would find out in an hour.
On the way back a turkey
vulture made drunken circles
above tree tops scanning for
something important but telling
no secrets. The galaxies were still
crowding the skies over their heads
but there was too much glare
to see them now. A bandstand
stood with no band but with
only windblown leaves. Habitually
he cleared his throat but refrained
from spitting. The young have
a luster to their hair that chemistry
cannot reproduce. They were
talking about how the species
was being set up for failure. Answers
floated in the summer air. What is
it called when meteors fall but
no one sees it, she asked. Only
it wasn’t about space exactly,
and she expected no answer.
Richard Magahiz tries to live an ordered life in harmony with all things natural and created but one that follows unexpected paths. He’s spent much of his time wrangling computers as a day job but now when he’s not making music he is writing speculative and mainstream poems. He has received nominations for Rhysling, Dwarf Stars, Pushcart, and Best of the Web awards. His chapbook collection The Reducing Flame was published in 2025. His website is: https://zeroatthebone.us/.
