ISSUE 2
 

Faith Allington

 

On the Cusp

 

North on the 101, the trees  

amazed us most.  

Coming from desert, 

such deep drinking thirst 

felt wasteful and dangerous.  

 

The van shuddered to a stop 

and when the stranger stopped

to help us, my sister and I  

crouched in the back  

like fox kits. 

 

He helped fix the tire, 

gave us a gourd,

invited us up dirt slopes 

for dinner. I held my breath,  

thought they might say yes,  

those hippie parents of mine. 

I saw them consider it. 

 

Maybe he wasn’t dangerous,

but all I could think was

don't don’t

because for the first time 

I could see under my skin  

and right down to the bones.