A Pacific Northwest native, I 
have been writing poetry over 40 years. My poems reflect a woman’s journey through the later years, with recurring themes of loss and renewal.
THE WAY BACK
You could get here
on the back road, the one
that wanders through the village
where we shared croissants
in the sun and bought a book
in that musty little store,
or you may prefer
to come by ferry, standing
on the upper deck
facing the receding
shore, watching the white wake
spill out behind, the wind rising up
to muss your hair
like my fingers used to do, or maybe
you will take highway 104
across the floating bridge,
where we both marveled
that something so enormous
didn’t sink
beneath the weight of all those cars,
or perhaps you plan
to drop in
suddenly,
your face appearing
in my doorway
like a burst of green
on dying branches,
like steam rising.
To view the previous Cathy Ross poem – click here
