In the Jeep he inherited after his estranged father’s death

By Brandy McKenzie

“Lakeview by Sean Ewing”

The time is near & we've been driving like mad

across the smaller highways of this country: hiding

amongst reservations & running from barricade

to barricade atop the pueblos      the fears of this

virus     the death creeping like sunset over the

horizon      & that's too easy      the metaphor is more

layered      than we'd like to believe      speeches

thrown on stages like mudpies and our families

wax and wane   gibbous and crescent like mothers

created mothers creating     and mothers lost

this desert we travel is vast     stained with beauty

that consumes and then loses     these mothers

weeping their songs at the riverside     the deep

and hidden     banks shadowed too soon

in the curves of the canyon     we drive

on a map drawn from above     we speak

with urgency      of the losses we scratch into

our thighs     tallies of children     tallies of

the passing days     like minutes devolving

in the evening’s debate     we drive and we drive

and we race for direction

before the sun sets     before we run out of gas

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Brandy McKenzie has published poems and prose in more than forty different journals, won various awards, been nominated for both Best of the Net and a Pushcart Prize, and worked on the editorial boards of several nationally distributed literary magazines. Most recently, she has published in Gargoyle Online and had her work featured on Writing.io. She has spent much of the last twenty years working as a college instructor and paralegal, but, since inheriting a saucy 10-year-old from a recently departed friend, has found the future quite up for grabs.

Sean Ewing is a visual artist inspired by the natural world and the delicate interplay of light and shadow. He endeavors to capture the quiet beauty of ephemeral moments, evoking a sense of serenity and introspection. His work often reflects the serene landscapes of dawn and sunset, creating a space for viewers to pause and explore their own reflections. Sean’s art invites contemplation and offers a peaceful retreat from the chaos of daily life.