The Tomato-coloured Couch 9:21pm
I wonder if I can wring out
a poem about A Sky
I didn’t see
Oh — I saw The Front of It
with Its opulent Gold
hiding the sun —
but the back of It went uninspected
& only later to be imagined
with Its pale pinks, lavender
& clouds of thinning Silver
The Hawk Corner Room 4:33pm
My Daughter, You Are Spectacular
the way I dreamt You up
to be capable of anything
with the nerve & the looks
to go with Your Infinite Abilities
You Can Do Anything
as I imagined when I saw You
in April of 1993
when I wanted A Baby Girl
A Beautiful Daughter —
not even as a compliment to My Son —
A Daughter to stand on Her Own
ready to Wow The World
now at eighteen
with Your tears of disproportion
about Your Idealized Body
Your Perfectly White Smile
and All Your Talents —
shall I list A Few?
After All, I Am Your Mother
& I Will Tell The World:
She Can Sing, Write, Act
Ride A Horse, Sail (Racing)
Bake, Cook, Organize
Play The Piano, Guitar, Saxophone —
She Can Make Money
& Raise It —
She Can Travel Solo
& Paint —
I Am Her Mother
I Made Her
And I Will Not Apologise
for Any of Eliza
The Hawk Queen Bed 8:48am
Rise Up from Your Beds
Eat Your Eggs & Ham
Dress Outlandishly
for The Church of Your Choosing
& If You Choose None
Be Robed or Naked
in Your Own Home
Joanna Gilman Hyde 