That Empire of Dirt? All Mine
︎︎︎ Crow Jonah Norlander
︎ Nov 7, 2024
taking my son to the dump
for hazardous waste day
dropping off old paint cans
feeling silly from the fumes
dear lord please let me
not run into anyone I know
car wash attendant
seems disgusted with me
not splurging
for any up-sale add-ons
they should invent Super Mega Sleep
for when you’re really tired
making the bed again
by spreading out like a starfish
relishing the tenderness with which
my son wipes a booger on my sleeve
writing down a list
of all my mistakes
I’d be unlovable if it weren’t for
all the people who love me
for hazardous waste day
dropping off old paint cans
feeling silly from the fumes
dear lord please let me
not run into anyone I know
car wash attendant
seems disgusted with me
not splurging
for any up-sale add-ons
they should invent Super Mega Sleep
for when you’re really tired
making the bed again
by spreading out like a starfish
relishing the tenderness with which
my son wipes a booger on my sleeve
writing down a list
of all my mistakes
I’d be unlovable if it weren’t for
all the people who love me
Crow Jonah Norlander lives in Maine with his family of humans and hounds. His fiction, poetry, and interviews have appeared in FENCE, Forever Magazine, and BOMB. He is also the co-editor of HAD.