Joanna Gilman Hyde

"Good Morning, World!"

THE RAINBOW ROOM

The Tomato-coloured Couch 8:10pm

My Mother sat in Her brown & gold

champagne bubble evening dress

empire-waisted

listening to Her clarinet-playing married Lover

in The World’s Greatest Jazz Band —

I stayed baby-sat

until

Her Bubble Burst

upon My nine-year-old shoulders

The Christmas I begged

for a pair of green & red

Love Birds

FIGURE IN BLACK

The Tomato-coloured Couch 6:22pm

If I’m gonna be A Super Hero

I gotta dress like One —

I’m a lil’ red blood cell

on The Highway down

to Hunter’s Operation —

I’m plannin’ My Outfit

for comfort & speed:

black leggins’, black socks n’ underwear

black kicks, black Tattoo sweater —

today I bought My New Black Bullet-proof Vest

black ankle boots w’ silver buckles

in case there’s snow —

I’ll be hidin’ My Red

in those bleak corridors

& waitin’ room

THE HAWK DECK IN JANUARY

The Hawk Deck 11:48am

My Brother had a Magic Pendant —

have I written of It before?

He asked It Yes or No

Questions

& told His Fortune

but We don’t have It now —

It was Our Mother’s —

heavy hand-wrought Silver

with A Bird on one side

 Rose on the other