POEM BY SAM ELLEFSON

August

dearth of identity

i’m transient in this body

sharp green grass basked in sunlight

outlined by stepping stones

leading to nowhere

demoralized and downtrodden

i wear white socks in the summer

and an idiosyncratic memory

on my bony digit

right hand, for i am alone

counting sheep in consciousness

and at bedtime alike

my ribs constricted and discernible

exhaust my limited options

and opt for immediate ease

my dog trots back and forth

in my father’s yard, i’m alone as always

but venturing to companionship

come evening—a vibrant yet somehow

soft spoken prospect of a man

like doves fleeing from an oncoming car

i’m the one that is trampled

short-term relief and naive introspection

urging myself to act, but i’m confined

to this barren emotional state of affairs