Poetry by Suzanne Ondrus
The Exhaust Pipe’s Kiss
Out of her black skin,
a three-inch by three-inch
pink square
rises
from her right calf.
The square’s white
puckered
periphery frames
this event
that happened a year ago.
An Un-moveable Feat
Parked,
stretched out
from head to feet,
reclining over this stagnant metal beast,
with hands folded
over chest,
head
between handlebars
and feet hanging off the seat,
the driver sleeps
Author Note: Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso located in West Africa. The city is known as the premier motorcycle city in West Africa because motorcycles are the major means of transportation. In fact, Burkina Faso is called “the African capital of two wheels.” These poems were based largely on my time living in Ouaga from 2018 to 2020.
Suzanne Ondrus‘ first book, Passion Seeds, won the 2013 Vernice Quebodeaux Prize. She was a 2018-2019 Fulbright Scholar to Burkina Faso. Her new poetry book Death of an Unvirtuous Woman is available from Finishing Line Press. Hear her read on her YouTube channel Suzanne Ondrus and find updates on suzanneondrus.com.
