Monday, June 27, 2022

Desert Lover by Leah Mueller

Walking through 
the alleys of old Bisbee, 
I thought I saw
the ghost of an ex-junkie

who captured my attention

in these same streets, 

twenty-three years ago. 


A face like Richard Gere’s—

eyes always wandering

inward, as if bored.


Cheap desert boots caked 

with layers of dust, 

probably given to him

by an ex-girlfriend. 


Always, his shrill fixation

on his one great achievement:


a novel picked up by a

major publisher, then

out of print five years later,


with no further plans

for distribution.


His inability to stay in bed

for more than an hour

after sex. And, most of all,


his uncanny communication

with extraterrestrials,


who somehow couldn’t 

keep their hands 

off his genitals.


Who could blame them?

Neither could I.







Leah Mueller is the author of ten prose and poetry books. Her work appears in Rattle, Midway Journal, Citron Review, The Spectacle, Miracle Monocle, Outlook Springs, Atticus Review, Your Impossible Voice, etc. It has also been featured in trees, shop windows in Scotland, poetry subscription boxes, and literary dispensers throughout the world. Her flash piece, "Land of Eternal Thirst" will appear in the 2022 edition of Sonder Press' "Best Small Fictions" anthology. Visit her website at www.leahmueller.org.

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