Means of Transport

It’s assumed that when we die
we fly or float away.
I’ve never heard it said
that the soul walks out the door
like it’s going to 7-11
for a Red Bull and some cigs
or takes the bus, deepening
the natural silence of
strangers drowning in the self
or hops a ferry across
the Mississippi to find
the afterlife bears
a resemblance to St. Francisville,
Louisiana, where
it’s hot as Satan’s crib.
Speaking of burning up,
I’d like to think the soul
melts like butter on a griddle,
and somebody I love
takes the next bite.

Mark Jackley
Mark Jackley
Mark Jackley's poems have appeared in Fifth Wednesday, Natural Bridge, Tampa Review, The Cape Rock, and other journals. In 2022, Main Street Rag published his latest book of poems, Many Runs Will Rise. He lives in northwestern Virginia.

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