nowhere to go

she stopped listening to music
on the way home
wondering where she would go
when the silence left her

she doesn’t ride the
sugar-coated, pixie-dusted
merry-go-round
of maternal bliss

their expressions make
her feel guilty, expectant smiles
and knowing nods—if only she
could fake their enthusiasm

she knows
what it will cost
what it will mean
engulfed by love

frequent deep breaths remind her
she’s not suffocating

she wouldn’t run now, even
if she could

this center, like all the others,
cannot hold
she hopes to keep
from falling apart
long enough for him

like the image
through a telescope
gliding through
eternal light and dark

her focus

shifts

but she stays put
glad for the rest