the truck bed is an altar.
the engine oms and sahs
before dying
as she steps down
from among the
hypostyle chicken crates.
she doesn't have blue skin
or wear a necklace of skulls.
she doesn't hold the severed heads of warriors
by their ponytails,
or carry a sword.
she has only two arms,
and holds a chicken by the legs in one
and an infant in the other.
the white wave begins
in the wormy feet
and surfs through the body.
the deity's tongue sticks out slightly
while wings flutter
until the wave washes through the neck.
the eyes of the bird stay open and hang
like doomed planets.
the bird stares up at the baby,
wishing that it was held in the other hand.
the baby stares at the bird,
wondering when he will change arms.
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The Editor-in-Chief for Touchstone 2011 is Lindsey Givens. She is a second year master's student in children's literature and she received her bachelor's in creative writing from the University of Arkansas in 2009.