dodge city

plywood reindeer fly up the side

of the body shop around the corner

from gina's nails and hair salon.

she ain't there today although her old

dodge polara's parked out front,

a sign taped in the back window says,

$1500 or best offer.

she had glued a toy horse to the hood,

a favorite saved from her girlhood dreams.

the colors bleached out years ago, about

the time that mack went off to corcoran.

doesn't seem like he is ever coming back.

he got another ten tacked on for slicing up

some guy over a stolen pack of camels.

she had stopped answering his calls.

no matter how much his mother whined

about his everlasting devotion,

it was time to dump the dodge.

but maybe she could pry the horse off,

little janie might still want it, she used

to point her finger at it whenever the three

of them drove up to the river for a swim.

she was two months behind on the rent

for the shop, so if she could sell the dodge,

they could catch a bus to redding.

her sister susie had room. it'd be enough

for a couple months, anyway. maybe get a job

at the bar where susie worked, the tips had to be

an improvement on the measly money

she was making at the shop. and susie said

the regulars weren't too bad after you let them know

where to keep their hands. gina rummaged

in the kitchen drawer for a screwdriver.

time get that faded palomino off the hood.