& he kept saying over
and over i was a star
leaned against the hood
crusty with a cig while i
set up cones
& a gem & a good job &
great at this & a natural
& made it look easy
if heaven were a truck it would have
a front bench seat and a toddler
in the middle, tiny bag of candy
corn & she’d pick a favorite
color in everything she sees
or heaven is a mirage
of a truck in rising sun screaming
down the backroads doubled over
the limit and bass busted on
the wrong side of traffic
winning chicken
& the only car you can control
is your own
***
Stephanie Anderson is a library worker, union organizer, and mess of split ends in Baltimore, MD. She’s the author of SOMEONE ELSE’S FEELINGS (Ghost City Press, 2025), and more of her work can be found in BRUISER, Burial Magazine, fifth wheel press, Libre, Genrepunk, and then some. Find her @whoastanderson everywhere and sign her guestbook at whoastanderson.com.
***
image: Rachel Turney, Ed.D. (she/her) is an educator and artist located in Denver. Her poems, research articles, drawings, and photography can be found in a variety of publications. Rachel is passionate about immigrant rights, teacher support, and empowering other artists. She is a Writers’ Hour prize winner and her photography can be found on a few magazine covers. Her poetry collection Record Player Life is forthcoming with The Poetry Lighthouse. Stay tuned and keep writing!
Website: turneytalks.com Instagram: @turneytalks Bluesky: rachelturney
Rejection Letters 