Paper Pigeon
James H Duncan
pulled over in the Arkansas dust
to scratch out a one-page letter
on the hood of the car
one stamp left to seal this
last-ditch attempt
a small white flag
a paper pigeon
a collection of truth too late
raising the level of desperation
high enough to escape this roadside
fog of hamstrung daydreams
but not high enough
to stop the sun from setting
into the yawning unknown of Texas
as the highway rolls and rolls and rolls away