In order to view this poem with the line breaks the author intended, we suggest reading it on a computer screen or in the landscape orientation on your phone or tablet.

Driving By, I See Different Flesh in the Field
Robert Okaji


Sometimes there are chickens.
Occasionally a pig.
One time, a solitary baseball.
And goats, of course.
Horses in the distance.
A few dogs.
But no people.
Never. Not
once.



Robert Okaji holds a BA in history, served without distinction in the U.S. Navy, toiled as a university administrator, and no longer owns a bookstore. His honors include the 2022 Slipstream Press Annual Chapbook Prize, the 2021 riverSedge Poetry Prize, the 2021 Etchings Press Poetry Chapbook Prize, and 1968 Bar-K Goat-Catching Championship. He lives in Indiana with his wife, stepson, and cat, and his poetry has appeared in
Threepenny Review, Crannóg, Vox Populi, Evergreen Review, North Dakota Quarterly, Tipton Poetry Journal, The Night Heron Barks, Indianapolis Review, and other venues.

Know anyone who might appreciate reading Robert’s poem?
Why not share the link to this page?

Have you read these poems:
Old Man in a Car by Jack Brown
Wildfire Season by Mark Thalman

Table of Contents