We Go to Waddell's

the niece I haven’t seen 

in over twelve years 

and her boyfriend 

I have soft tacos 

while they split a hamburger 

back at my apartment 

they look at my 

Marshall Island sketches 

and a sketch of Yellowstone 

where they’re headed 

after they leave me

---

Paula Yup is a native of Phoenix, Arizona and currently lives in Spokane, Washington. She has a book of poetry published by Evening Street Press entitled Making a Clean Space in the Sky. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and in the pages of J Journal several times before.