Pushcart 2026 L: Tommy Moore, “This is You” from Chicago Quarterly Review #40

Picasso: ”Man Looking In a Mirror” (1969) You pick up the large, heavy volume that is Pushcart L: 2026 and flip through some of the first pieces, scanning to see what’s in store this year. You see the first story is set in 1999. A few poems, something about a god, about salmon. Then you come to this: You are Casey Malloy. “I am not!” you shout, and throw the book across the room. Second person again? What is it with these writers? But take heart, dear (if a bit assholic) reader: It’s not really a second-person POV.Let’s start over, with more from the opening paragraphs: You are Casey Malloy. It’s a new day! Get up. Put on the boxer shorts, black cargo pants, black T-shirt, and black baseball cap on the chair by the bed. Put socks on your feet. See the running shoes by your bedroom door. Be Casey Malloy. Smoke one tiny bong hit. It helps. Eat a banana. Drink a glass of water. Parked below your apartment, there is a red 1984 Toyota pickup with construction racks. Find the keys to your…