Paul Dickey

On the State Line

Whiskey asses hang half off the bar stool.
Belt buckles are brighter than wits.
Moons leer all over the angels’ tits.
The fields were wet when he was in school. 

Filipino girls blur and fade on his forearm,
strip bills from a frayed wallet. In dry dock, 
battleships rust. Not lonely now, he’ll knock
up opportunity, drive home to his father’s farm.

Paul Dickey is the author of several collections of poetry, including They Say This is How Death Came Into the World (Mayapple Press, 2011) and Wires Over the Homeplace (Pinyon Publishing, 2013) as well as multiple chapbooks and e-books.  Dickey received the 2015 Master Poet award from the Nebraska Arts Council. His poetry, prose poetry, drama, short stories and flash fiction have appeared in over two hundred online and print publications. More info is available at his website: http://pauldickey9.wix.com/paul-dickey. Dickey lives in Omaha and is retired from teaching in philosophy.