Linda Drach

Happy Trails

Omit the hopeful faces of the tiny petunias, thwarted 

in their terra cotta pots. Erase all trace of the Lab 

that chased a ball into Roy Rogers Road and the log truck 

that struck and crushed it. Don’t utter one word 

of the uselessness you feel as your dying lover suffers.

How his gutters keep filling. How you’re a ladder, 

lying on your side. It’s just a poem, you know. 

You could rewrite the ending. Feed champagne grapes 

to nuzzling goats. Hunt for glass floats in secret coves.

Or you could relive the beginning. Utterly in love, 

exploring blue highways. Untouched maps 

and afternoon sex. Stands of quaking aspen gifting

gold coins. Why not write about life’s riches? 

But, of course, you know why. Even the dead puppy

knows why.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Image by Alex Moliski from Pexels

Linda Drach is a writer, creative writing teacher at The Writers Studio, and author of the poetry chapbook, Pop-Up Shrines (Finishing Line Press, 2025). Her poetry and prose have been published in Bellingham Review, CALYX, Crab Creek Review, The Good Life Review, Okay Donkey, and elsewhere. Find her online at lindadrach.com and on Instagram: @inky_lyrics.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Home    About    Subscribe    Guidelines   Submit   Exclusives   West End    Roots & Words

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

© 2026  Iron Oak Editions

Stay Connected to Our Literary Community.  Subscribe to Our Substack Roots & Words

Home    About    Subscribe    Guidelines   Submit   Exclusives   West End 

Join Our Team