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At the Holland Center

waiting for the concert to start,
you tell me your goal is to be walking
by the first of the year. I believe you;
I believe in you. But belief may not
be enough. I don’t tell you this, that your
well of hope is deeper than mine.
Truth is, I’m starstruck by your audacity,
despite the odds — even on days that rip
the heart from the body and toss it
with the biohazards. But nobody
gets to your heart — that fist-sized
muscle that packs a wallop — and
damn anyone who tries to drain
your well. You carry enough faith
to scrap with eternity.

—
Cathy Porter’s poetry has appeared in Plainsongs, Homestead Review, California Quarterly, Trajectory, Cottonwood, and various other journals. She has several chapbooks available from Finishing Line Press, Dancing Girl Press, and Maverick Duck Press. Shuffle and Go is her latest collection from Bottlecap Press. Cathy has been nominated for several Pushcart Prizes. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska.

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