Peg Cherrin-Myers
Behind the Paper Walls of My Boy Heart
My first (and ex-) husband was Jewish,
and when we would have people over
who weren’t close to us, he’d say, “Hide
the Jewish News!” and I did.
Today, I have men upstairs in my home
working on our remodel, tearing down studs
and ripping up floors, men who wear camouflage
baseball caps, ten-point buck sweatshirts, large crucifixes
around tatted necks, and I find myself
tucking my rainbow bracelet into a sleeve
that is more soft and pastel than my rugged
and unembellished button-down. I wear
full-face makeup with curled hair and play
country music through the soundbar.
And it’s in the hiding, where I am haunted
by the poet Diane Seuss’s voice:
“If writing poetry scares you,
you’re doing it right.”
a pen name ...
my double life
sentences
About the Author
Peg Cherrin-Myers lives in Southeast Michigan. They are a stay-at-home poet who spreads peanut butter on white bread, folds it in half, and dips it into a hot bowl of chili. They wear rainbow Tevas and drive a pickup. Their work has appeared in Frogpond, Stanchion Zine, Kingfisher Journal, Periodicities, and many others. Find them on X (formerly Twitter): @pegcherrinmyers.
Some very strong writing here! Thank you for sharing. Poetry must scare you because you are doing it right.
Thank you, Terri. Means the world to me coming from you. Thank you for your support, I miss you.
Yours is an authentic and honest voice. That’s the most a writer can hope for.
As Miles Davis put it: “It takes a long time to play like yourself.”