Hagar Shores, Michigan (Memorial Day Weekend, 2023)

This will have to do: this bluest sky, striped with clouds;
this view of the wild phlox from a couch in the living
room. And this will have to do as well: this birdsong,
distinctive yet unidentifiable; this wi-fi non-existent, but
if you step outside, you can pick up some extra bars.
I must content myself with watching you, wine glass in
hand, attempt to catch and release a bumblebee
trapped by the window screen. I must, I must. These
socks filled with sand from the beach, these lively
discussions of Turkish politics and lawn care and arsenic
levels in the local groundwater, this lesson on how to
clean calamari properly for grilling. I must. A young,
muscular tourist blocks the aisle at the five-and-dime.
Our table is served by a friendly waiter you’re
convinced is flirting with me. I find myself scratching
a fresh mosquito bite bright red. I wipe cobwebs from
patio furniture untouched since October. Tina Turner is
memorialized on the car radio. The shadows haven’t
retreated – not in the least. I feel them still in every
greeting, in every embrace. Panic sets in whenever
somebody asks me, “So… how’ve you been?” And here
is a second negroni to wash down the Claritin. And here
is a nap. And here is a bowl of strawberries followed by
a quick game of cards. And here is a sudden evening
chill that sends us scrambling for our sweaters. I must,
I must, I must.

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Edward Thomas-Herrera is a Salvadoran-American poet, performer, and playwright currently residing in Chicago, Illinois. He was a long-time artistic associate with Live Bait Theatrical Company from 1991 to 2008 and a regular contributor to THE ENCYCLOPEDIA SHOW from 2010 to 2012. In addition, he is one of the co-founders of BoyGirlBoyGirl, an ensemble of solo theatre performers which mounted over a dozen shows from 2004 to 2016.
He is the author of five plays (OF DIAMONDS AND DIPLOMATS, MONDO EDWARDO, THE PARAGRAPH, THE BRITISH EXIT, and DRESSING FOR BATTLE), two solo shows (COCKTAIL CONFIDENTIAL and FUN WHILE IT LASTED: A FAREWELL TOUR), and one as-of-yet-to-be-produced musical (HELL IS FOR THE VERY HOT). Currently, he is hard at work on a new script entitled OPPORTUNISTIC CHORUS GIRLS OF 1934.

Photo by Phil Dembinski