Carcass

Will Neuenfel

92 cents unleaded?
My eyes flick on
their high beams
until spotting the pale
fossils to this once
neon dinosaur.
If I could see through
its wooden windows,
I’d expect a similar
dashed joy exploring aisles
for discounts in silence,
oddly longing for
the asthmatic hums
from beverage coolers.
Without any cans
of Arnold Palmer or pints
of Cherry Garcia,
it’s impossible for
the required purchase
to use the restroom though
Cashier Tammy
and Mop-Bucket Matt
aren’t here to say otherwise.
Nomads of the night
scavenged said goodies
and migrated to the 7/11
down the street.

Will Neuenfeldt studied English at Gustavus Adolphus College and his poems are published in Freeze Ray, Gyroscope, Capsule Stories, Parliament, and Red Flag Poetry. He resides in Cottage Grove, MN home of Steven Stifler and a house Teddy Roosevelt slept in.

Art: Kingfisher by Nicola Brayan who is a young, aspiring artist from Sydney, Australia. She has rediscovered her passion for art during the pandemic. She uses vivid colours and contrast to capture emotions and expression. Her work is a love letter to what it means to be human. More of her work can be found on Instagram at @an.aesthetic.mirror.