There you are,
           curled into a vibrant ball,
fur stained pink and green,
           identical to the flowers
chalked onto the concrete patio.

Our summers stretched,
           heavy with Oklahoma heat,
the songs of cicadas
           and aching muscles,
trophies of backyard races
           that lasted until the streetlights blinked.

Though you haven’t seen summer
           for quite some time,
I know the wet nudge of your nose
           against the back of my hand
and continue to trace you,
           curled pink and green,
between the concrete cracks of tomorrow.

---

Sierra Duke is a fiction writer and poet based in Oklahoma. Her writing often explores grief, mythology, and the natural world. She has been published in Livina Press Issue 15, The Soliloquist Issue 4, and The Talon volumes 8, 9, and 10. Her instagram is by.sierraxo