Here I am with all my flaws
seeking form and shelter.
I blanche at the notion
of violence, but it’s coming
after us, closing in like a
superstition I can’t shake.
If I acquiesce to your harsh
future you must promise me
one thing. Where we go we will
find our youth again. Can you
see it there under the yellow linen
tablecloth? I’m depending on it.
From Promise (Louisiana State University Press, 2017). Copyright © 2017 by Sally Van Doren. Used with the permission of Louisiana State University Press.