Porca Macchina

To lower our rate, we’d have to take 
Defensive Driving, I learn

when I summon coraggio to inquire. 
Heading to the dealership 

across the Verrazzano, we bicker, 
scared of Ford & Geico’s terms

& conditions. Vincenzo’s accent 
is too thick, my mind too fogged 

& low on wiper fluid. He cuts
between a Prius & a Rogue, 

muttering epithets involving pork, 
the world, God, whores—Porco 

Mondo, Porco Dio, Porca Puttana. 
We hate each other & ourselves 

for wanting to lease, if not own, 
a beautiful, massive machine. 

HILARY SIDERIS

Hilary Sideris is the author of the poetry collections Calliope (Broadstone Books, 2024), Liberty Laundry (Dos Madres Press, 2022), Animals in English (Dos Madres Press, 2020), The Silent B (Dos Madres Press, 2019), Un Amore Veloce (Kelsay Books, 2019), and The Inclination to Make Waves (Big Wonderful, 2016).