Listen to Alex reading this poem:
After “Ars Poetica” by Rita Dove
If I took the wrong turn in Charlottesville,
I would be lost for nearly an hour
trying to find my way back.
One time I did this and drove over
a fairy ring, and my car started sighing
every time I turned on the ignition.
When I would get back to the main roads,
I would usually pass a diner I never
made an effort to visit in the year
I lived in that city.
I fantasized about driving into
the utility pole outside it more often than
I considered having breakfast for dinner there.
My mom calls the voice on the Waze app “Wendy,”
and I started relying on her to get me anywhere.
Wendy never lured me to fairy rings nor poles,
but she would recommend the cheapest
place for gas if I ever needed a place
to stop and slam my head against
the steering wheel.
Alex Carrigan (he/him) is a Pushcart-nominated editor, poet, and critic from Alexandria, VA. He is the author of Now Let’s Get Brunch (Querencia Press, 2023) and May All Our Pain Be Champagne (Alien Buddha Press, 2022). He has appeared in HAD, fifth wheel press, Sage Cigarettes, JAKE, Inlandia Journal, and more. Visit carriganak.wordpress.com or follow him on Twitter @carriganak for more info.