West Texas Nostalgia, Christmas Eve

Poem by Regan Minkel

Driving down Texas Highway 208,
my heart swells with pride.
My babies, still as eggs in the back,
sleep under the widest blue sky. 
Your cowboy hat shifts with flatland turns on
the dash of our Ford pickup. 
Mesquite presses on all sides. 
An unpaved road gapes wide for us. 

The babies crack awake and reach for their
shoes, giddy voices now bouncing atop an
endless caliche road. 

We stop for bourbon and smoked meat,
caked dirt and hunting knives—
deep smile lines. 
A shot at the buck, in twilight. 

Regan Minkel resides in East Texas where she teaches college writing classes full time. She is inspired by her children, who teach her how to play, and her husband.

Written Tales

Unleash your passion for literature and join the Written Tales family. Together, we'll make it the #1 home for writers & readers. Subscribe today and become part of our community that embraces poems and short story forms.
Join Today

Premier Sin

In "Premier Sin" by Dany Keagan, a desperate escape through a rain-soaked forest leaves the protagonist on the brink of collapse. As they pause to ...
Read More →
Retribution

Retribution

Liana Cass’s "Retribution" captures the essence of regret and rage in the aftermath of unspoken grief. With powerful imagery of broken tongues and lost love, ...
Read More →

Leave a Comment