Beyond Casper
horses watch
from roadside fences
riders pass by
wheels turning
inside, outside
pronghorn pay no mind
to fences, a leap of faith
takes them where they will
washboard road
holds no one
to their promises
one slip, and the shoulder is gone
down the road
and up the drive
a house nearly empty
waits for change
mule deer watch
through glass doors
as we empty it
before taking one last ride
About the Author: Ken Gierke is a retired truck driver, transplanted to mid-Missouri from Western New York. His poetry has been published or is forthcoming both in print and online in such places as The Rye Whiskey Review, Amethyst Review, Rusty Truck, Trailer Park Quarterly, The Gasconade Review, and River Dog Zine. His first collection of poetry, Glass Awash, was published by Spartan Press. His second collection, Heron Spirit, is forthcoming. His website: https://rivrvlogr.com/
Image Credit: Carol M. Highsmith “Abandoned ranch or farmstead west of Casper in Natrona County, Wyoming” (2015) Public domain image courtesy of the Library of Congress
As It Ought To Be 
Thanks, Chase.
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