Joanna Gilman Hyde

I was that child

being pushed in the little red swing

built by my grandfather

up high

enough so that my toes

touched the leaves

of his knoll’s

crab apple tree

Astro, Astro Jasper Cosmo

died this morning

asleep in the green kitchen chair —

He had a spasm

and lolled His head

through the wrought iron arm

and was gone

That Fast:

My Cuddily Buddily

Big Black

Super Cat

Tonight Eye drove

along a band of gold

lining the West

below a dense sky

Eye drove

to pick up Eliza

working in The Coast Guard —

I stood on the deck

of her 50 foot cutter

to look at the sun

but it was gone

and so was the band —

dispersed cloud

faint pink

accompanied us home