Moving Sale

By ANDERS CARLSON-WEE

Duluth, we said when a browser asked.
Omaha, we said to another.

Omaha? they said. What’s in Omaha?
It was a good question, but in truth

we weren’t moving, just using
the drama to draw shoppers.

How much is this lamp? said a lady
in yoga pants. Everything’s labeled,

North told her. Another lie:
we left labels off the expensive shit,

buying us time to spot the weakness
in each person. Sold, I said

when she opened way too high.
Brainerd, Mankato, Des Moines:

whatever sounded likely in my mind.
Between customers North cracked

jokes, had me going, but my secret
was that if I’d been alone I would have died

of shame. I recounted the money.
Get it? he said. Get it? trying to break

my concentration. And the sale
went on like that: Where to?

What’s in St. Louis? What’s this cost?
Why would you want to live there?

Honolulu, I said, testing
somewhere better, farther away.

A year later when I actually moved
it was less than a mile.

 

Anders Carlson-Wee is the author of Disease of Kings, forthcoming from W.W. Norton in October 2023, and The Low Passions, a New York Public Library Book Group Selection. He is represented by Massie & McQuilkin Literary Agents. Visit AndersCarlsonWee.com

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Moving Sale

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