“Some Words for the Week”

I drive towards nothing

killing time feeling numb

for an hour and then go

to the grocery store

to get plain yogurt

for a dish some friend is cooking

in line in my own world

I’m behind a woman

unloading her food

onto the belt beside the register

I barely notice her until she says

“oh hey” and I look up

and she’s someone I’ve known

since I could know anybody

one of us leftover mountain kids

rare like rain in this city now

I say I wouldn’t have known her

because in my mind

she is still fifteen

we laugh a bit at time

then we say goodbye

and are again apart

and the sun sets beautifully

over the parking lot

Alexander Shalom Joseph is a writer from Gilpin County. He has two published books and one more forthcoming in the Fall of 2022. For more information and to subscribe to Alexander’s Newsletter go to alexandershalomjoseph.com