Justin Hyde

the kicker

yesterday
i had to
yell at myself
out loud
not to pull into that casino
off route sixty-six
in north kansas.
last week
on a run through wisconsin
i was up twenty-eight hundred at the ho-chunk
before i pulled three hundred
out of my checking account
and another three hundred out of my corvette fund.
kicker is
i don't even like to gamble
it's just the only thing
this side of a
smith & wesson
to the temple
keeping my mind
off the ex.

stretching my calves on the curb behind the coffee shop

little
sudanese boy
at the back door
of the african grocery
declares
matter of factly:

the sun
is a
dangerous
fire.

feels good on the
skin though,
i say
turning my face up
and holding out
my arms.

like warm
palm oil,
he says

doing the
same.

CP

Justin Hyde lives in Iowa where he works with criminals.