She's the only part of fiction that’s real 
because even I begin to fade sometimes . . .

It’s sad to think we are all characters
imagined by a person
who pulls so many strings.

We bend to His will.

I floated past her,
but let’s face it,
that’s when it hurts.

I'm glad I knew her,
rising in the end by a string
I could never imagine:
the one truth left in this big book of lies.

Rights & Access

This poem was submitted for the "Poetry for the Mind's Joy" project and is reproduced here with permission from the author. All rights reserved. Poetry for the Mind's Joy is Poet Laureate Kay Ryan's project that includes a community college poetry contest administered by the Community College Humanities Association and a lively videoconference.
  • Nicholas J. Godfrey

    Georgia Highlands College, Silver Creek, GA

    Faculty Advisor: J. Clayton L. Jones, Instructor of English