Six Feet and a Thousand Miles Away

The blare of flight announcements
tells me—another delay
another hour too late.
While others abandon 
personal space
in boarding lines, 
I sink into my seat.
Search the fluorescent ceiling
in an attempt to refuse 
the taste of salt.
Lower my lashes.
Beg for no witnesses
to the naked ache
of these hands 
free from burial dirt.

LAUREN OERTEL

Lauren Oertel is a writer, editor, workshop facilitator, and community organizer based in Austin, Texas. She is the coauthor of the book Inside Out: A Texas Prison’s Poetry Story. Her debut full-length poetry collection, Scars & Other Luxuries, is forthcoming in 2026.