Short-lived
After his baby son died he strapped
a tumble dryer to his back and ran
the roads around the village. Stocky,
shaved head, blue shorts and vest,
white socks in black Nike trainers.
Transformed into Tumble Dryer Man
he raised thousands for research. Locals
waved from windows, cheered, for a while,
but then some wished he would stop, some
began to close their windows until the steady
beat of his feet faded.
Marilyn Ricci’s poetry has appeared in many magazines. A pamphlet was published by HappenStance Press and collections from SoundsWrite Press and Quirky Press. She was one of three poets selected for Mariscat Press’s first Sampler published in September 2024.