My Friends Have a Car in Louisiana

By Michael Stalcup

My friends have a car in Louisiana
that they say we can use
for the year they’re away.

We just have to go get it
and drive it home
safely. We don’t even think

about having my wife
drive back alone, but
for the first time

the thought strikes:
I might not be safe
on my own either,

my Asian face and skin
a sin
in this America.

Photo by processingly on Unsplash

---

Michael Stalcup is a Thai-American missionary living in Bangkok, Thailand. His poems have been published in Sojourners Magazine, First Things, PAX, Red Letter Christians, and elsewhere. He co-teaches Spirit & Scribe, a workshop integrating spiritual formation and writing craft. You can find more of his work at michaelstalcup.com.