Almost the Last Man on Earth

Magnetized and caught in the push-
pull commotion, still, we knew making love
in a lawn mower shack at the edge of town
wouldn’t jump start a new republic.
Just one short act of consolation, a slow
reordering of orbits. We held a spark,
hunted a small thatch of kindling, by the time
it was over, there was hardly enough
to warm two pairs of empty hands.
For once the rustling sounds in the cupboards,
kicking of leaves, and falling bodies
were on purpose and the heat we felt, our own.
We walked separately back to camp,
where no-one sings in the lantern light,
where even the snakes are not safe.

JASON BRAUN is the Associate Editor of Sou’wester. He has published fiction, poetry, reported or been featured in The Riverfont Times, Prime Number, ESPN.com, Big Bridge, The Evergreen Review, SOFTBLOW, The Nashville City Paper, Jane Freidman’s blog, Star*Line, and many more. His Paradise Lost Office App contextualizes John Milton’s epic poem for the cubicle crowd and is available at iTunes. He releases music under the moniker Jason and the Beast.