I know it’s time there’s no space
in the car park & more
double-park along the highway
where I’ve joined their spill
across every car’s dash
roadmaps lie open
at this same destination
food wrappers fill footwells
& —I’d like to image—
a thin shadow of tortoiseshell
dusts upholstery back in town
those not yet ready
to check out sun themselves poolside
lounge like monarchs
in front of daytime cable in airless
motel rooms careful not to leave
prints on towels & duvets
don’t be fooled by this
heavy stupor antennae
are tuned to their homing frequency
one transmission over
then out trees stripped
cocktails half drunk
infomercials persuading no one
by Ben Egerton
Ben Egerton is the author of two collections of poetry, the most recent of which is Antiphony | Anti-Phoney (Buttonhook Press, 2025). He holds a PhD in Creative Writing (Poetry and Theology) from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, where he teaches in the School of Education. Ben is an Associate Fellow at the Rivendell Center for Theology and the Arts at Yale University.
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