I wrote this poem two years ago at the Interlochen Arts Academy for a poetry workshop.  We were experimenting with sonnets; it was an interesting challenge to try to keep the rhyme and iambic pentameter without sacrificing meaning for form.  In the end, I had to give up a few things (the rhyme scheme, in particular) to say what I needed to say.  I wrote this poem after a long summer's worth of car trips between my hometown and St Louis for my brother's medical treatments; he's doing much better now, but it helped to work out my thoughts on paper.

Editor’s Comments:
Brittany Cavallaro’s sonnet demonstrates how the limitations of form can liberate a writer, allowing for the widest range of expression. Read this touching poem aloud and hear how the meter—iambic pentameter—supports the rhythms of conversational speech.