Hope wears an itchy sweater
with holes in the elbows,
rinses returnable bottles,
finds comfort in the rhythm
of the clothes dryer.
Hope belts out its plea,
hitting the high notes
rounding the Chicopee bend
on 91 South.
Hope turns on a dime
or the ten bucks it thought
was stashed in its wallet.
Hope sighs and slouches,
gives trigger warnings,
sits out arguments.
Hope pretends.
Published in Compass Roads: Poems About the Pioneer Valley,
edited by Jane Yolen and published by Straw Dog Writers Guild.
edited by Jane Yolen and published by Straw Dog Writers Guild.