{"id":19630,"date":"2025-05-21T14:40:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T19:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/?p=19630"},"modified":"2025-05-31T20:38:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T01:38:01","slug":"road-song","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2025\/05\/21\/road-song\/","title":{"rendered":"Road Song"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Road Song<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-social-links-is-layout-765c4724 wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-facebook  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61556140010887\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 2C6.5 2 2 6.5 2 12c0 5 3.7 9.1 8.4 9.9v-7H7.9V12h2.5V9.8c0-2.5 1.5-3.9 3.8-3.9 1.1 0 2.2.2 2.2.2v2.5h-1.3c-1.2 0-1.6.8-1.6 1.6V12h2.8l-.4 2.9h-2.3v7C18.3 21.1 22 17 22 12c0-5.5-4.5-10-10-10z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-instagram  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/boudin_mcneese\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12,4.622c2.403,0,2.688,0.009,3.637,0.052c0.877,0.04,1.354,0.187,1.671,0.31c0.42,0.163,0.72,0.358,1.035,0.673 c0.315,0.315,0.51,0.615,0.673,1.035c0.123,0.317,0.27,0.794,0.31,1.671c0.043,0.949,0.052,1.234,0.052,3.637 s-0.009,2.688-0.052,3.637c-0.04,0.877-0.187,1.354-0.31,1.671c-0.163,0.42-0.358,0.72-0.673,1.035 c-0.315,0.315-0.615,0.51-1.035,0.673c-0.317,0.123-0.794,0.27-1.671,0.31c-0.949,0.043-1.233,0.052-3.637,0.052 s-2.688-0.009-3.637-0.052c-0.877-0.04-1.354-0.187-1.671-0.31c-0.42-0.163-0.72-0.358-1.035-0.673 c-0.315-0.315-0.51-0.615-0.673-1.035c-0.123-0.317-0.27-0.794-0.31-1.671C4.631,14.688,4.622,14.403,4.622,12 s0.009-2.688,0.052-3.637c0.04-0.877,0.187-1.354,0.31-1.671c0.163-0.42,0.358-0.72,0.673-1.035 c0.315-0.315,0.615-0.51,1.035-0.673c0.317-0.123,0.794-0.27,1.671-0.31C9.312,4.631,9.597,4.622,12,4.622 M12,3 C9.556,3,9.249,3.01,8.289,3.054C7.331,3.098,6.677,3.25,6.105,3.472C5.513,3.702,5.011,4.01,4.511,4.511 c-0.5,0.5-0.808,1.002-1.038,1.594C3.25,6.677,3.098,7.331,3.054,8.289C3.01,9.249,3,9.556,3,12c0,2.444,0.01,2.751,0.054,3.711 c0.044,0.958,0.196,1.612,0.418,2.185c0.23,0.592,0.538,1.094,1.038,1.594c0.5,0.5,1.002,0.808,1.594,1.038 c0.572,0.222,1.227,0.375,2.185,0.418C9.249,20.99,9.556,21,12,21s2.751-0.01,3.711-0.054c0.958-0.044,1.612-0.196,2.185-0.418 c0.592-0.23,1.094-0.538,1.594-1.038c0.5-0.5,0.808-1.002,1.038-1.594c0.222-0.572,0.375-1.227,0.418-2.185 C20.99,14.751,21,14.444,21,12s-0.01-2.751-0.054-3.711c-0.044-0.958-0.196-1.612-0.418-2.185c-0.23-0.592-0.538-1.094-1.038-1.594 c-0.5-0.5-1.002-0.808-1.594-1.038c-0.572-0.222-1.227-0.375-2.185-0.418C14.751,3.01,14.444,3,12,3L12,3z M12,7.378 c-2.552,0-4.622,2.069-4.622,4.622S9.448,16.622,12,16.622s4.622-2.069,4.622-4.622S14.552,7.378,12,7.378z M12,15 c-1.657,0-3-1.343-3-3s1.343-3,3-3s3,1.343,3,3S13.657,15,12,15z M16.804,6.116c-0.596,0-1.08,0.484-1.08,1.08 s0.484,1.08,1.08,1.08c0.596,0,1.08-0.484,1.08-1.08S17.401,6.116,16.804,6.116z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Jed Myers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I\u2019ve ground my teeth to an aching, jaw<br>sore from a long clench while I searched<br>for a road out of a war, no knowing which<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">side I was on. And I dreamed a crossing\u2014safe&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>passage, no gate, no screamed inquisitions&nbsp;<br>at gunpoint between wired-off halves of land\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">not so much a road, rough stitch of truck-tread,&nbsp;<br>trail of reddish stains like shadows&nbsp;<br>the vanished have left, charry tracks<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I imagined the ash remains of the angels\u2019&nbsp;<br>ladder where Jacob had slept\u2026no,&nbsp;<br>not on anyone\u2019s maps. And who\u2019d walk it\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">old ones who forgot not to set out?<br>Some young who\u2019ve strayed from where they were&nbsp;<br>told they belong? A few who hallucinate<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">floors of parted seas between burning walls?<br>Let alone all the souls forced from their houses,&nbsp;<br>most without wagon or sack. Thought I saw<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">black plumes in the eyes that looked back.&nbsp;<br>What could they hope? But this road I found,<br>I\u2019d swear it\u2019s unmined, it remains<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">in neither side\u2019s charge, and in their head-<br>coverings, their hand-me-down shawls and scarves,&nbsp;<br>in the drizzle of pulverized lives&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">decorating their shoulders in death\u2019s drab epaulets,&nbsp;<br>the crossers have turned to a rhapsody\u2019s notes,&nbsp;<br>slow-cadenced as the stars\u2019 patience with us.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Listen, that shuffling between estranged towns,&nbsp;<br>prayer-murmurs and curses in sister tongues\u2014<br>it\u2019s those stumblers who scuff their feet&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">raw on the stones, who trip and lift themselves&nbsp;<br>countlessly up off their hands and knees,&nbsp;<br>who weave the lost way, home to home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Jed Myers<\/strong> is author of three books of poetry\u2014most recently<em> Learning to Hold<\/em> (Wandering Aengus Press, Editors\u2019 Award, 2024), and previously <em>The Marriage of Space and Time<\/em> (MoonPath Press) and <em>Watching the Perseids<\/em> (Sacramento Poetry Center Book Award)\u2014as well as six chapbooks. Recent honors include the Northwest Review Poetry Prize, the River Heron Poetry Prize, and the Sundress Chapbook Editor\u2019s Choice Award. Poems have appeared in <em>Prairie Schooner<\/em>, <em>Rattle<\/em>, <em>The Poetry Review<\/em>, <em>RHINO<\/em>, <em>Poetry Northwest<\/em>, <em>Southern Indiana Review<\/em>, <em>The Southeast Review<\/em>, and elsewhere. Myers lives in Seattle, where he\u2019s editor of <em>Bracken<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>__________<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"438\" height=\"211\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg 438w, https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">\ud83e\udca0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2025\/05\/21\/ajanbia_margins\/\">Back<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2025\/05\/21\/in-the-strawberry-mountains\/\">Next<\/a> \ud83e\udca1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To learn more about submitting your work to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/boudin-submissions\/\">Boudin<\/a><\/em> or applying to McNeese State University&#8217;s Creative Writing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/mfa-application-submissions\/\">MFA program<\/a>, please visit Submissions for details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Road Song Jed Myers __________ I\u2019ve ground my teeth to an aching, jawsore from a long clench while I searchedfor a road out of a war, no knowing which side I was on. And I dreamed a crossing\u2014safe&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;passage, no gate, no screamed inquisitions&nbsp;at gunpoint between wired-off halves of land\u2014 not so much a road, rough&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[230],"tags":[75,145],"class_list":["post-19630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-finding-home","tag-boudin","tag-poetry-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19630"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19837,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19630\/revisions\/19837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}