I am no hero.

I am unsung.

I am flown

2000 miles and still

Their small cries keep me

Awake at night.

No cover of

Darkness, no sweet

Dreams, there is no forward

And I won’t go back.

Mother Mary forgive

Me. I unclasp

My hands, get up

Off my knees.

Faith, Hope, and Charity

Are just the names

Of truck stop hookers

On the side of the interstate.

MJ TENERELLI is a legal writer, mom, poet, and photographer. Her poetry has appeared in a number of places, including the Feminist Wire; Cagibi; Stained Sheets; and Oberon