Dirty Back Road
written by: David Estringel
Moonlight
fingers cutgrass,
tying
rice seed into
silver braid
as Night
gobbles miles
from dirt road’s
muddy hand.
Waves of pale blue
kiss the doors of
an ol’ 55
with a swish
and a sway
to the rhythm of
crickets’ electric song and
a synchrony of bullfrogs
having a midnight
splash. Clouds
pass overhead
and fireflies—
like headlights—set
the stage for
a long
Naugahyde slide
as Night’s eye
sleeps.
It’s just us
here
now
behind cover stories
and sweating glass—the
King and Queen of the Heap—
discarded beer bottles
and well-worn
prophylactics
at our beck and call.
But
you’ll go your way
I’ll go mine
and no one
will ever know…
…except the moon
and those fireflies.
They know where all the bodies are buried.
David Estringel is a Xicanx writer, Professor of English, and EIC at The Argyle Literary Magazine and Blood+Honey with words at The Opiate, Cowboy Jamboree, Dreich, Mythic Picnic, Literary Heist, Street Cake, The Milk House, BULL, The Hooghly Review, Drunk Monkeys, The Daily Drunk, and The Honest Ulsterman. David has published seven poetry/hybrid collections, six poetry chapbooks, and one co-authored novel Escaping Emily through Thirty West Publishing House.
Latest posts by David Estringel (see all)
- Dirty Back Road - July 6, 2026
- Anatomy of a Poet, or This Old House - April 3, 2026
- Boy with a Box Full of Wasps - January 2, 2025
