The red of the port
scar near her heart
of the Citgo sign’s glow
when I turn to the window
of my eyes from watching her
in the infusion bed
the red of the syringe
the nurse inserts into her veins
the red savior drug
to kill all malignancy
the Red Devil
cocktail to save her life
the red I never would have chosen
as the color of hope
the red I now see everywhere
as a sign to believe
Click here to read Laura Foley on the origin of the poem.
Image: “Citgo sign Boston MA Fenway Kenmore Square” by Lori Stalteri, licensed under CC 2.0.
Laura Foley is the author of seven poetry collections. Why I Never Finished My Dissertation received a starred Kirkus Review, and won an Eric Hoffer Award. Her collection It's This is forthcoming from Salmon Press. Her poems have won numerous awards, and national recognition—read by Garrison Keillor on Writers Almanac; appearing in Ted Kooser’s American Life in Poetry. Laura lives with her wife, Clara Gimenez, among Vermont hills.