Hattie didn't mind the children. They were about the only people on earth she didn't mind. She heard the parents telling them to leave her alone, but her seemingly bottomless tin of cookies, which ... [+]
Francis Daulerio is the author of two books of poetry, If & When We Wake (2015) and Please Plant This Book (2018). More info at FrancisDaulerio.com.
Sure, a few of the vowels are missing,but I'm no dummy,though rushing toward the nextinconsequential thing I have to do,it takes a quarter mile or so to seethe out-of-state plate on this grey Ford Focusthat's going a little slow for my liking,not clicking until the red light, when it hits me: DNT PNIClike a message sent from somewhereI've struggled latelyto find hope in, but I've struggled lately to find hope in most things, these last weeks again a spiraling mess of counting breaths, stomach full of worry over nothing I can name, and only minutes before this very m