Written ‘In Synergy’ with “Shifting Sands” by Caryn Gilbert
His arm was amputated
The heart that pumped his life’s blood, stopped
The last sale, his only memory
It could be said
That he was left by the road for dead
But the road itself is dead
He still stands at attention
Beneath an unremitting sun
Guarding a cluster of tamarisk
You can still see his rank
His serial number barely visible
Beneath a patina of rust on pale skin
A war had been waged
A war for fill-ups, blue plate specials and motel stays
A war his side had lost to the interstate
More resolved than hopeful
He mans his post at the sand’s edge
Waiting on a wave of motorists that may never land
David Slavin was born and raised in a small midwestern town just north of Los Angeles: Glendale. He makes a living as a software engineer, but makes life a little more worth living by writing short stories, essays, and poetry. His work has appeared in The Quill and Parchment and The Altadena Poetry Review. He hosted poetry readings at Loyola Marymount and has attended and led poetry workshops at Beyond Baroque.
