Down & Dirty

“Drew may have lived many years among the Yanks, but his Mississippi roots are having their say, shining through in every irreverent/reverent syllable. Once you pick this book up, you won’t be putting it down any time soon!”—Nancy White

THE DOWN AND DIRTY REDNECK HUNGERS FOR THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
I’ve always been afraid of burning to death,
but with you I was like a tree in October,
on fire with a shitload of leaves just
before the north wind ripped them loose
and sent them ass over teacup earthward. Girl,
if only you would come again driving
down Main Street, your long golden hair
streaming out the window like yellow flames,
your white Mustang unstained as you was,
I wouldn’t give a damn about how I go,
only that the crash when it comes rivals
them leaves up to their stems in duff,
and that one day we can look back and say
okay, we crashed, but we crashed still burning.

GEORGE DREW was born in Mississippi and raised there and now lives in Poestenkill in New York State. He is the author of five collections of poetry, including The View from Jackass Hill, the 2010 winner of the
X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize, from Texas Review Press.