Each and every cycle,
month
after month,
year
after year,
I tried to quell my
longing,
but my head could not guard
my heart
from that small spark of anticipation,
expectation
that fanned at the edges
of my vision,
a pilot light that refused
to be snuffed,
no matter how often the flames
of hope were
doused.
Cheryl Boyer‘s poems, short stories, and photographs have appeared or are upcoming in Kakalak, Iodine Poetry Journal, The Main Street Rag, and moonShine review. She lives in a small town in North Carolina with her husband and two children who are often subject to her pen or lens. She’s also a home-schooling mama, a sometimes foster mom, and tries to eat a bit of dark chocolate every day. You can find out more about her at www.myferriswheel.com.
A Quiet Courage 