"Marathon Man" by Sam Campbell

Marathon Man

I’m not exactly sure what happened.
I’ve got ashes on my tongue,
smoke in my lungs,
and a somebody on my fingertips.

When lost, it’s helpful to retrace steps.
The December morning was clear;
Cheshire moon amidst a palette of blue
smirked down as I drove into Gatlinburg.

The slopes’ empty fresh powder:
sky-sent, not manmade.
Lured up the black diamond,
I slice my way back down. Repeat.

The afternoon sun summered.
I fell trying to get fancy
going backwards down Bear.
I lay sweating in the ice.

On my way home, at Marathon #135053
to fill up and grab a coffee,
flavored just enough to mask the taste,
the guy behind the counter
struck up a conversation.

Smiles were shared,
compliments exchanged for blushes
and laughs for the brushing of hands.
Which is all good and well, except
I can’t remember how paying for gasoline
led into swapping spit in the back room.

All I can think about is his ashtray
mouth and how the hell
do I get myself in these situations?
How the hell do I get out?

The tinkle of the entryway bell
alerts him to another customer.
I take to the fountain for a drink
to wash down the secondhand nicotine.
We exchange a glance before I go.
He doesn’t charge me for the Pepsi.

sam campbell

Sam Campbell is a writer and teacher from Tennessee. She earned her Master's in English from East Tennessee State University where she served as the Editor-in-chief of the 47th issue of The Mockingbird, a literary arts journal. She currently serves Arkansas International as Social Media Editor, and she also holds editorial roles for Orison Books and The Great Lakes Review. She has published across all genres. Her fiction has appeared in October Hill Magazine, America's Emerging Literary Writers Anthology, and Unto These Hills. Her poetry has appeared in Pine Tree Poetry and Tennessee's Emerging Poets Anthology. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in Bloodroot. She is currently earning her MFA in Fiction from the University of Arkansas, where she is a Distinguished Fiction Fellow.

Headshot: Sam Campbell

Photo Credit: 5eyed