Vicki Whicker
Kyle’s Broken Body
“On the road
the driver’s belongings
could be
appreciated.
And it was noticed
the young man
was no longer
alive.
The occasion
is of American
Nationality.”
No.
I am not
his broken body—
on the roadside,
Tijuana’s sand twisted
in his blonde hair.
He sleeps
in the morning light
his head to one side,
as if
remembering The Dream.
I am the eyes
that read
those words, silly
a translation—
Spanish to English.
Kyle’s body.
Broken.
Now
a post on Facebook—
a Tijuana news page
covering
the mystery
of a young American
in a black suit,
just a roadside attraction,
a chalk outline.
Dust to dust.
The photos. Is he
flying—was he
posed?
Is this real? It appears,
as if one could touch
wings
beneath his broken.
So many friends, lovers—
and certainly
his black loafers
in the second photo
cry
for his feet still
dressed in brand new
black socks.
Vicki Whicker, poet and art photographer, is a member of the Los Angeles Poets and Writers Collective and Bright Hill Press Poets. Her poetry has been published by Mo+th, 12 Los Angeles Poets, Big City Mantra, Literary Mama, and others. Her poetry and art photography are featured in the anthology Seeing Things (Woodland Arts Editions, 2020), her poem “Fire Starter” was published in both English and Spanish with La Presa (Embajadoras Press), and her debut collection of poems Caught Before Flight was published by Woodland Arts Editions, all in 2020.
