the day the wanted man, everett franklin’s taken into custody, again

by Amy Allen

he’s shirtless, barefoot, strolling the shoulder of I-95, callused feet impervious to Florida’s heat, his leathery skin akin to Juliana’s, the emotional support bearded dragon perched atop his head, claws gripping his sun-bleached curls when the sirens sound, the trooper uneasy about her ‘cause you can’t cuff a reptile, but Juliana stays put for the drive, intake, for Everett’s admission he’s got no one to call, and when the cell door swings shut, she descends, pushes aside the stiff fabric of Everett’s prison uniform ‘til the skin of her chest meets his, the two of them, rising and falling together.

Photo of Amy Allen

BIO: Amy Allen is a writer based in Shelburne, Vermont, where she serves as the town’s Poet Laureate and runs the writing and editing business All of the Write Words. Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals, earning nominations for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net in 2025, with one of her flash pieces having been selected for publication in Best Microfiction 2026. She’s the author of the poetry chapbook Mountain Offerings (2024)