Tender grass grows in the pavement beneath him.

He is underprepared for the August heat.

Settling blood is thickening to jelly in paper.

Cars coil around the Dave & Buster’s parking lot.

His son cancelled on him today.

The truck was supposed to be insulated.

He can’t sling rib-eyes much longer.

Tori Tiso (she/her) is a writer, feminist, and cryptid enthusiast hailing from Wisconsin. She earned a BA in Creative Writing from UW-Madison in 2020. Lately, she has been embroidering cow sweaters whilst eating cheese in the Dairyland.