653-9218

by Latorial Faison

For the first time in my thirty-nine,
I dialed and nobody answered, not

even God. A classic has been read,
closed, and shelved. The end. But I

recall the strength and tone of your
country-strong voices, the laughter,

the surprise, the struggle, the sorrow,
the resilience, the church songs and

field hands, building with 4 x 4’s, the
heating of pots and pans, yours was

an old fashioned prayer that kept me.
An era has ended, and the best of

Sunday’s dinners no more. 653-9218,
disconnected, not home, gone, fate.

Latorial Faison is an American poet, author and military spouse born in Southampton County, Virginia. A graduate of UVA and VA TECH, she has been published in Southern Women’s Review, ChickenBones, Red River Review, Stars and Stripes, Blackberry Magazine and elsewhere. Faison is currently an Assistant Professor at Sejong University in South Korea.