You come to this valley where the tall grass trembles
in no breeze at all, and the road vanishes in the glow
of headlights in fog, and the buildings in town waver
like a mirage in the rays of a long dead star.
The signs by the road, almost hidden by weeds, tell you
Closing Sale, Everything Goes. Scattered about one lawn,
cassette tapes unravel. Buddy Holly, Richie Valens.
Your house? Among tombstones and real estate signs?
David Salner has worked as iron ore miner, steelworker, librarian, baseball usher, and in many other trades. His Summer Words: New and Selected Poems, appeared in 2023; of his most recent collection from Cornerstone Press, John Skoyles, Ploughshares poetry editor, said: “The Green Vault Heist is not only a beautiful book, it is great company.” His writing has also appeared in Threepenny Review, Ploughshares, North American Review, and Valparaiso Poetry Review.