Miles from October, there is heat

by maggie fulmer

– dandelions in the backyard, ice on my tongue.

I glance at the clock on the stove,

the sourdough recipe is hard to follow.

It’s in the details. He leans against the doorjamb,

says Don’t worry about the bread, darling.

But I have to. When the fog clears,

I will count the fireflies quickly and realize

I do not love him, but I know

the way he peels an orange.

---

Maggie Fulmer lives and writes in Cincinnati, Ohio but is a proud product of Kentucky. Her work has been featured in Atlas+Alice, Olney, Bullshit Lit, and others. She is a founding editor of the indie literary magazine Many Nice Donkeys. You can find her on most corners of the internet (@mfulms21) talking about boy bands, books, and reality television. She can not do a cartwheel.