Notes About The Poem

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Roadside Jerky

An armadillo leaned on a fence,
too wilted to muster a proper defense.
His cowboy hat slouched
like a biscuit overbrowned,
his dignity having long since left town.

The relentless sun blazed down with cheer,
roasting the pasture for the fifteenth month this year.
Grasshoppers staggered.
Mesquite trees panted.
Even the buzzards looked disenchanted.

The dillo squinted west and sighed,
I reckon I'm medium-well inside.
One more degree
and y'all will see
roadside jerky where I used to be."

A bead of sweat rolled down his snout.
He watched it fall. He watched it sizzle.
"Autumn," he grumbled,
"has missed her exit.
She's probably lost near Abilene."

The fence post offered little aid.
The shade was merely shade-adjacent.
He tipped one claw
to his hat and said,

"If anybody spots October,
 tell it I'm awaitin'."
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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