California Cold
I flee outdoors to the sun. Cold in California where the altitude or latitude or some other damn thing like oceanic air renders caffeine neutral in my blood. Chilled and drunk on words from my host’s stack of books unread…
Sandy Day
Air Show
Just wanted to say, on this fine dull morning, how yesterday you sat at a picnic table grinning at me from a face I’d never seen. And you reached out and into me and expelled an obsession taxiing there for…
Right and Left
“Pooh looked at his two paws. He knew that one of them was right, and he knew that when you had decided which one of them was right, then the other one was the left, but he never could remember…
Memories of a Sister
A Spaniard in the Works I sold it not worth much now on eBay Sorry Would you have kept it? You bought at the United Cigar Store a yellow lion coin bank honeysuckle incense cones and a tiny carved box…
Publishing in Chalk
My children attended a tiny public alternative school in Toronto. Each year all families were encouraged to attend the graduation of the grade 6 class. This whole-school event was an annual tradition. Even though my children were just beginning at…
Chattering
Born with this big bundle bursting and chattering scattering love like dropped petals from wildflowers carelessly and carefully. Look what I picked for you, mommy! From my hot and sweaty hand she takes them, but later I find them withered…
Writing my Grandmother to Life
I’ve written little while immersed in the world of self-publishing. Even my journal has gaping, week-long lapses between short terse entries. As Poems from the Chatterbox reveals, I write to relieve pain, often. My writing, as my editor pointed out…
Undertow
The tide is turning and in the draw the green frothy murk of the undertow. I see the flotsam of his needs scattered, the sad rotting angels swirling, the helpmeet dying, the precious words decaying – what am I saying?!…
The Difference
From the library I took two books one of God poems one of love. And read them side by side each day and could not see the difference. O’ that you would kiss me with the kisses of your mouth!…
An Apology to Poets
True confession. Yes, I have a degree in English literature. Yes, I’ve read the “Faerie Queen” and “Leaves of Grass”. No, I don’t read poetry. Why? Like most readers, I don’t get poetry. It’s difficult to read. It takes effort…
butterflies are free!
I’m going on my first ever trip to Florida. I’ve seen pictures of the blue sky, the ocean, the palm trees and the enormous beach front hotels. It looks like the Florida of my imagination. I’m going there to vacation,…
speaking Michelangeloly
I haven’t written many new poems lately; I’m in between inspirations. But I have been revising. I realized today that revision is my favourite part of writing. In fact, before I send a poem out to a potential publisher, I…
koo koo ka choo
Semolina Pilchard published three poems today one of which is my “Aging”. The three poems share a theme, the turn of seasons, the resurrection; nice choice for this Passover/Easter weekend. I love the line in Joseph Farley’s poem, “A season…