Nicholas Barnes

au revoir

if a meteor
or a stray bullet
comes down
and paints the day
with my hot love:
look upon the
wondrous bloody
scarlet sidewalk,
and admire
my final work.

if i become
a hit & run statistic,
flattened by a big bus,

truck, or speeding car,
by drivers distracted
behind the wheel:
then keep an eye out
for this handsome face
on the 6:00 news.

if i die of a tumor,
a subcutaneous stowaway,
unseen, unfelt, undetected:
don’t blame the little guy,
for he was just doing his job.

if my mind and body
file divorce papers
sooner than expected:
i’ll laugh
with my last
rattling breath,
knowing i got out
while there was still
water to drink


Nicholas Barnes earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at Southern Oregon University. He is currently working as an editor in Portland, and enjoys music, museums, movie theaters, and rain. His poems have been accepted by Platform Review, Mortal Mag, and Barzakh, among others.