One More Hero (For Admiral Craig Quigley, Ret.) Poem by Melanie Simms

Distracted by the silence
I turn on the radio;
Enrique croons,
'Let me be your hero, '
And if I could
I would gladly accept his offer
But I am driving these roads
Towards another destination,
A home filled with hectic children
A yapping dog, a refridgerator
In desperate need
Of corndogs and Kool-Aid.

I arrive and turn off the radio,
Enrique fades in the distance.

I could pack up my things,
Catch a bus and join the band,
But I decide that there
Is enough music here at home,
The chatter of little muses
In the corners of my life
Birdsong, a kiss on the cheek,
The mending of a little skinned knee.