Del Herring

The Good of the Many

2021.07.21, Española, NM The sun slips reluctantly behind the only cloud in the sky like I’d put on a dress. Also like me, it’s never on for long. The wind steals the sun’s filmy shift, letting hot, naked rays toast my dusty skin. The breeze chills my sweaty armpits and raises goosebumps on my back when I doff my backpack. A lizard skitters, then watches me sit with the other members of patrol team Tango. I’ve shared a bed with each, some many times. Nobody stays long-term because nobody thinks long-term. Besides, Jade, the team leader, wouldn’t tolerate it, even if I did.