Sherry Poff
Sherry Poff writes in and around Ooltewah, Tennessee. She holds an M.A. in writing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is a member of the Chattanooga Writers’ Guild and the Poetry Society of Tennessee. Sherry’s work has appeared recently in Women Speak, The Zest of the Lemon, The Clayjar Review, and Speckled Trout Review, among others.
Family
After Nighthawks by Edward Hopper
That woman in red—she could be your Aunt Sheila
or my sister Carol just finished with a long evening
at the cash register or a day of cutting and dying
someone’s hair for a night on the town. She’s tired
and just wants a quiet moment before she goes
home to more work. And the man serving her,
his name is Eddie. He doesn’t expect much,
but he wants a life just like the rest of us.
Just like Grayson there in the suit, who won’t stop
talking. He could be your brother, right? He could be
the answer to someone’s prayer or the worst thing
that ever happened to Carol. And the nameless man
across the way, why is he in our space? Why
bother us with his cold presence here in the dark?
Neighborhood Watch
Into all our back yards,
the ever-vigilant crows
cast their bright eyes.
Silent as spies, they drop
onto the damp grass,
prod the turf, looking
for clues to we-know-not-what.
They step carefully around
the perimeter, muttering
to themselves, and after
making a few quick calls,
the crows spread their wings,
fly low over the lawn,
and swoop away
to make a report.