I took
a lot
of time

to think
about
the epic

& when
I felt
I felt

an under-
standing,
I ran

away
from all
shelter.

—
Darren C. Demaree is the author of five poetry collections, most recently The Nineteen Steps Between Us (2016, After the Pause). He is the Managing Editor of the Best of the Net Anthology and Ovenbird Poetry. He currently lives and writes in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and children.