He drives a truck. Eats at laybys

swigs down the daylight. Sometimes

he tilts his head lets out a snore

 

to fill the cab. He pulls things he will

never buy. His phone stays on mute

so he can watch migrating birds

 

as he drives down bones of tarmac.

Sometimes he goes to Burger King

or Costa. Burps on leaving.

 

He said he hates driving told his wife

over the phone. She told him to work

until he dropped. They argued for years.

 

He got home early one shift and found

a car on his drive. Then he realised

his wife was his neighbour.

 

He handed in his notice, got a divorce

and a new job in a bakery. Moulded

dough until his fingers ached.

 

Today he lives next door to his neighbour

passes her croissants over the fence.

But they never speak as she preferred

 

him being a truck driver.

 

Gareth Culshaw

 

Gareth lives in Wales. He had his first collection published, The Miner, by FutureCycle in 2018. He is currently doing an MFA in Creative Writing at Manchester Met. He has been nominated for Best of the Net. Gcwculshaw AT moonfruit DOT com

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