Strength

—based on the statue of Atlas at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples

I have the strength
to hold up the sky,
the sun, moon, and stars.
When needed I 
rotate the heavens
so a child 
can find the north star
talk with the seven sisters
or get lost in the beauty 
of Cygnus, the swan
flying through the Milky way.
I can provide
the soft glow of the moon
to light
the eyes of lovers
as they discover
how to say ‘I love you.’
I can shift the sun
to warm the necks
of the broken hearted.
Reminding them that
loss is a season,
cold and angry
but there is always warmth
if they would
turn their face toward
the day.

But I do not have the strength
to stand,
to walk under the sun
on a summer Saturday,
or hold the hands
of my loved ones
when life strikes
their hearts
with the arrows of sorrow.
To clasp my hands in prayer
under the protection
of Orion.
I am a living statue
that too many believe
has the strength
to change their world
but I can only keep
the sky from falling
in their stories.

Jamey Boelhower is a poet and independent author with numerous published works. He has been an educator for over twenty years. Jamey’s focus is poetry, but he also writes a personal blog. His recent works include While Death Waits, April 2020: A Poetic Time Capsule of Writing and Living During a Pandemic, These Words Believe in Ghosts, and Life in Poetic Form.