My Hopes on August 30th
Little drops of hope,
like fawn spots,
like the sunflower
that is growing in
my backyard, even though
I didn’t plant it there.
When I watch the storm
roll off the mountains
and pass through Boulder
on its way to me,
I hope for petrichor.
When I hear the ping of my email
and see that it is from a press,
I hope for acceptance.
When my phone rings and the id
reveals that my mother is calling,
I hope for an apology.
When I listen to NPR and hear that
no one has seen the president for days,
I hope for change.
Rachel Turney, Ed.D. (she/her) is an educator and artist located in Denver. Her poems, research articles, reviews, and drawings can be found in a variety of publications. Rachel is passionate about immigrant rights, teacher support, and empowering other artists. She is a Writers’ Hour prize winner and Best-of-the-Net nominee. Her photography appears on a few magazine covers. Rachel runs the popular online reading series Poetry (in Brief). She is on staff at Bare Back Magazine with her monthly column Friday Night in the Suburbs. She reads for The Los Angeles Review. Website: turneytalks.com Instagram: @turneytalks Bluesky: rachelturney