Junkyard Kingdom Poem by Maureen Daniels

I was walking the dogs
through the woods when you raced
over the river with your dappled mare.

The grass tangled in her frothy bit
and I rested my palm
on the smooth planet between her eyes.

Your shark tooth dangled into your black
corset and the stripped Chevrolet smothered
in whiskey stared at us through the trees.

Cigarette butts and remnants
of the Fourth of July collected
at the edge of the river.

When your champion Appaloosa spooked,
I waited in my boots and torn mini skirt
on the roof of the car, comforting the dogs

amidst sweat and spark plugs.
The dogs rested amongst the cracked mirrors
on the ripped back seat.

All summer I dreaded this
marriage to the lonely earth
where you learned to abandon me.