Southern Latitudes by Jake St. John

for John Greiner

I'm sitting here 

in the afternoon sun 

reading the Good Doctor

as he attempts

to flee Las Vegas 

my mind 

begins to shift 

and alter

as I recall the night 

I met the Baron 

in a Peruvian 

prison cell 

and how 

we were able 

to produce 

the right paperwork 

thanks to a 

well timed phonecall 

from our friend 

at the embassy

we were able 

to cross the border 

by midnight 

just as

the hangman 

untied his rope 

in despair

we limped 

through the beaten doors

of a hill side cantina

and enjoyed a bottle.

Jake St. John lives in the woods on the edge of the Salmon River. He is the author of several collections of poetry including Ring of Fog (Holy and Intoxicated Publications, 2022), Night Full of Diamonds (Whiskey City Press, 2021), and Lost City Highway (A Jabber Publication, 2019). He is the editor of Elephant and is considered an original member of the New London School of poetry. His poems have appeared in print and online journals around the world