I don’t find the architecture

of this town appealing

nor the flood of tourists

come the snow

and the golden leaves

and I’ve been hurt here

and I’ve been had

and there are some stores

I won’t set foot in

but I still stay

for now at least

and I’ll tell you what keeps me

so far away

from the rest of the world

after work I drive home

in the clinging snow

and my check engine light

glows itself to my attention

and I groan and pull over

and I call the man himself

the one who’s got

the guts of this and every truck

near memorized

and he answers

and laughs

and says he’s so busy

but to bring it on by right away

and he’ll take a look

for he knows

I have to have this rig

and the toolbox in the pickup

to go build houses for the

rich and I pull up and he

comes out

and so do the shop dogs

and he pops the hood

and we talk about our families

the tragedies and triumphs

that make a life and a town

and he knows right away

what needs to be done

and he does it

as I show him a video

of a bear last night

in front of my house

and then he sends me

on my way

never accepting enough pay

the truck purring now

through the storm

and that is all

and that is everything

and that is a home

in a world

where so many are homeless

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