r.n. DEAN

@youominouslyend

Why the Fuck is that Man Wearing Such a Dope Ass Parka in Mid-June?

it’s getting
cold out
Again.

lovely,
negative two
degrees, with wind chill,
i got to dig out my
favorite olive green parka.

when i put it on, i stuck my hand
in the pocket and found a receipt

for a sixty dollar withdrawal, dated 2023.
the receipt was from an atm
at a CVS pharmacy, in southwest detroit
on michigan ave and martin.
the one that was fee free cash access,
for my coke fueled benders,
back when i made six figures, and
lived in a gutted apartment with no heat.

i love this parka.
almost as
much
as i loved
shoving
shit
up my
Nose.

r.n. dean is a poet and autofiction writer. now three years sober, born and raised insouthwest detroit, growing up in the early 2000s, his metaphors often lean on millennial imagery such as video games to describe his feelings on fatherhood, living with half of his vision and sobriety. his work has been featured in azarão literary journal in the past.