Eighteen Year Old Stucco Laborer and White Crosses
(Published in Open City, 2002 and Jubilee City, 2005)

Fucking hot and sunburned. Fingers raw. Then taste that water. It’s too bitter to drink but I gotta –it’s all we got out here. Suddenly everyone’s the boss. This asshole working next to me said you’re fired. Fired? You can’t fire me. You ain’t my fuckin boss. We got the same job. I was getting down then fell. Just as the real boss walked by. He said get off your ass. I thought to myself: what are you gonna do, put more speed in the water.