Desolation

Photography, 8" x 6"

Marco Pierce's work first appeared in Voicesin 2020.

My Pontiac Tempest at 115 MPH

T. Allen Burnett

The Joshua and junipers,
Blue Palo Verde,
The desert dirt—
Clutches the frame of my car
And bursts behind me
Like tracer fire—
Moments of asphalt
And tire bloom,
Where rubber bleeds black
Against the mesa 
And canyon shadows.

The saguaros stand in judgment.
The road blurs
And my car shudders
In the heat
Revs at 4000 RMPs,
The interstate spreading out
Before me –

The Navajo have wind spirits,
But I have no name
Or understanding of it,
No holy wind
Or benevolent tempest,
No blessing ceremony,
No culture that truly
Understands flight.

Sundrenched, 
Scorched and rippled
In the horizon,
Like a black thread
Where the sky touches earth,
Where I beg for guidance
But can’t understand—
Gears and grind,
The pushing hum in my chest
Leading me forward.

Author's Bio

T. Allen Burnett is a high school chemistry teacher in New Jersey who returned to poetry writing in July 2025 after a 37-year hiatus. His work has been accepted for publication in Wingless Dreamer's anthologiesI Don't Feel AnythingandSundowner,as well asHare's Paw Literary Journal.His poems explore trauma, desire, heritage, and the complexities of identity and recovery. He draws from his North Carolina roots and his experiences navigating gender, sexuality, and family violence.