North of Bloom
is a lone oil well
that never stops
(pumping nothing
but stale air),
a steel marker
that commemorates
the "Highest Point
in Cowley County,"
another that marks
the lowest point,
two miles away.

South of Bloom,
a converted hearse/
demolition derby car
sits on its axle
filled with beer cans
("250 soldiers
who made the world
a better place").
In the driveway
of an abandoned farm,
a sign reads
"Beware of Ghost Dog!"

East of Bloom,
a man drives a pickup
with this bumper sticker:
"BLOOM--CORRUPTION
CAPITAL OF THE U.S."
A bullet-shot sign states
"54 Miles to the World's
Largest Ball of Twine,"
and in spray paint
directly beneath
"1/2 Mile to the World's
Largest Bag of Wind."

West of Bloom
is a bar with this sign:
"Poor Service, Warm Beer,"
a barn with a target
painted on the roof,
a convenience store
with a postcard
of a topless woman
driving a police car
with the caption,
"Kansas speeders
will be violated!"