Middle House Review
Cheryl Boyer "Six Feet Away"
I don’t hear him arrive,
my father,
here to parse a fallen tree
into manageable pieces.
I hear the chainsaw,
hike the path,
wave to him from a distance
safe for us both.
I want to stand guard
as if he’s never used a power tool,
hasn’t worked with his hands
his whole life.
Is it because he could have died
seven summers ago
from a freak accident
when working alone?
Or is it the fragility of this time
that causes caution?
Bio: Cheryl Boyer is a wife, adoptive mom, and former foster mom. Her poetry collection, Counting Colors: a journey through infertility, was born out of her need to work through her own grief, and her hope is that it will encourage women traveling their own journey and offer perspective to those who love them. Cheryl spends her days home-schooling, working jigsaw puzzles, reading, and regularly sneaking a bit of dark chocolate. You can find her at CherylBoyer.com.