GHOST TOWN TOURISM BUREAU
by JUSTIN RUNGE

As one of America’s most haunted cities,
we are known for feng shui. Neck kisses.
Strings instead of switches. Basements
here are spacious, unfinished, and full
of grave flowers. Choral chambers. Nails
may be exposed on the steps. This city
is a stockyard, a video arcade. It used to
have a stronger smell. Doesn’t come up
much. The dumbwaiters can accommodate
your infants for easy bedtimes. Just keep
the door clear of obstruction, pull firmly
and sing while you do it. Here, the trees
die and become newspaper. Here, a whole
home will hollow out like a cared-for skull.

“Ghost Town Tourism Bureau” is printed here today with permission from the poet.

Justin Runge is a writer and designer living in Lawrence, Kansas. His main passion is making words look good—most often, with Blue Hour Press. He has provided design services for the State of Kansas, University of Alabama, Lied Center of Nebraska, and many others. Poems of his can be found at DIAGRAM, Linebreak, SOFTBLOW, and elsewhere.

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