Red neon sign above
downtown skyscraper says FEAR.
I hope this is due
to the fog
dense and cold.
Moveable letter sign
at the Gas and Gulp reads
You’re Dreaming.
I tell you this because
you won’t be able to tell anyone else.
These things happen
when you’re building
a universe the size
of your soul.
I always
wondered if the alien who caught
my red balloon liked it.
We live in a world of infinite
possibilities that include aroma
theory
and accompanying soundtrack.
During the pandemic
the extrovert went mad
with nothing to do.
I went feral in paradise.
Michelle Hartman is the author of four poetry books, four chapbooks, the most recent a winner of the John and Miriam Morris Memorial Chapbook Contest. Her work has appeared in Crannog, Galway Review, The Atlanta Review, Penumbra, Poem, Southwestern American Review, Carve and many more. She is the former editor of Red River Review, as well as the owner of Hungry Buzzard Press.