A German-born UK national, Rose Mary Boehm lives in Lima, Peru. She is the author of two novels, one full-length poetry collection, and two chapbooks, and her work has been widely published in mostly US poetry journals. Her latest full-length poetry manuscript, The Rain Girl, has been accepted for publication in June 2020 by Blue Nib. Her poem ‘Old Love’s Sonnet’ has been nominated for a Pushcart by Shark Reef Journal, where it was published in the Summer of 2019.

For the lover I left
By Rose Mary Boehm

In nights of unsung beauty—and there are
always some—heal wounds inflicted
by Vesuvian fires in the underworld, branding
my flesh when I had no coin
to pay the ferryman, and no redemption.

The portal built by you, my eager architect,
was meant for two. But only I went through.
You stayed behind, mistaking liberty
for latitude, and open fields for toil.

I left the safety of your promises, abandoned
my own expectations, and paid my crossing
with my breath. I waved to you who lingered
on the other shore, but our separation
was so much more than distance.

There were occasions when you almost
crossed the river, buoyed by your apprehension.
I have moved on. Your master plan is out of date.
But there’s a cabin where the ferry stops, just on
the right, behind that giant Tree of Life, where you
can rest awhile. It’s filled with smiles.