This state is roads that are one
pothole away from a blowout. New
Jersey is tomatoes. Lots of fucking
tomatoes. It is a growing heroin
problem that seeps into the quiet
suburbs. It is the scraggly guy who
is sitting in front of the classic
car place up the street, a case of
beer opened at his side. New Jersey
is congestion and rushing, it is
pork roll and a fucking Wawa in
nearly every damn town. New Jersey
is a casualty waiting to happen—
some towns, just nine feet above
sea level. This state is toll roads
and EZ Pass lanes. New Jersey is
taxes no one can afford, it is a
wannabe California with no glitz or
glamour. It is the ocean’s leftovers.
Kendall A. Bell’s poetry has been most recently published in Your One Phone Call and Work to a calm. He was nominated for Sundress Publications’ Best of the Net collection in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015. He is the author of nineteen chapbooks. His current chapbook is “Trust Fall”. He is the founder and co-editor of the online journal Chantarelle’s Notebook, publisher/editor of Maverick Duck Press and a music and book reviewer with Five2One Magazine. His chapbooks are available through Maverick Duck Press. He lives in Southern New Jersey.
In Between Hangovers 