There was a man who leaned a ladder against a brick wall. It was the only wall for miles and miles. It was the only ladder for miles and miles. The afternoon wind, fierce, whistled through the aluminum rungs of the ladder, making a lovely sound that could be heard for miles and miles if there had been anyone else nearby to hear it. The man sat down under the ladder with his back against the wall.
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Richard Garcia‘s poetry books include The Other Odyssey (Dream Horse Press, 2014), The Chair (BOA 2015), and Porridge (Press 53, 2016). His poems have appeared in many journals and anthologies. He has won a Pushcart prize and has been in Best American Poetry.
Photograph by Vivian Okubo.
