When Eye was a child
I decided The Bathroom
was My Favorite Room —
that if the house blew apart
in a hurricane
It was The Bathroom
Eye would live in —
& I would sleep in the tub
My Daughters Eye Wear
On My Right Ring Finger
and My Left —
My Finger of Engagement
Is For Blonde Eliza:
Eye Made Her Up To Be
A Woman Who Could Do ANYTHING
(and She Would Have To Be Beautiful)
Her Turquoise Tear Drop
Is Set Between Two Tiny Diamonds —
She’s Coming Home
On My Father’s Birthday
To Stay Four Days.
Golden Maria Stays Forever
On My Right:
Her Unformed Heart
Is Eternal Strength —
She Is My Beautiful Dark Haired Woman
With The Most Melodious Voice
Who Appeared On My Right Shoulder —
Who Was Taken From My Womb
On My Mother’s Death Day —
Who Came To Me To Be Named.
These Two Women Are My Daughters:
One Light, One Dark
One To Have In Life, One In Death —
One Joy, One Comfort —
These Two Daughters
Are My Sacred Accessories
To MIND
My Work, My Fun
is conglomerated
packed inside
My House
like baby tiny spiders
hatching out
to live their fragile lives
in amongst the nooks
of My Exterior
Eye wear regal fakery
on My Left Ring Finger —
solid gold
on My Right.
The World will be told
why
some time soon
if the parties involved
feel like it
Today’s Summer
is The One Eye Choose
of Silver Robes
& Black Bathing Suits
tripping through the heated fog
of Our Hawk Beach
to South Side
where fighting lovers
meet with chaperons
to win back
the sultry longing
exuded by Their Latest
Expose
What is the allure
of The Lime Green
Prom Dress?
Answer:
Add a carrot
& You’ve got
Flaming June
Eye will paint
The Sea Foam White
inlaid with shards of shells
collected
with infant fingers
from My First Beach
in Africa
Eye play in My Bed
These Days
without a bed mate
I turn on My Phone
& check
My Rooftop Views
I choose My Underwear
very carefully
& Eye use The Toilet
with Its fickle plumbing
next door to My Very Own
Accommodations
Eye understand that Dr William Hunter Blair
does not consider Himself
“A Bad Guy.”
This is how He sees His Self,
therefore He is NOT
a “Bad Guy.”
Eye can forgive Him.
I can call The Truce because
Eye know He can
and will
Live With Himself.
Eye was The 1st-grader
Who spilt chocolate milk
on Her smocked blue and white dress
in the school cafeteria
just before She was to sing
in the chorus
of “Chicken Little”
Joanna Gilman Hyde 