The Hawk Corner Room 7:07pm
Olly The Gull
came from His Nesting Grounds
on The South End of McNutt’s Island
stolen by Me
in My 13th Year —
raised on bread and milk
taken up to The Island House Rooftop
and told to fly
The Hawk Kitchen Outpost 2:38pm
I crossed a short causeway
to PEI (Prince Edward Island)
only it was more like a small city
when I got there —
like Halifax
only tiny
and My Intention was to drive around
its perimeter
but I started talking to a group
of young urban people
who lived there
and asked
“Is there any place to dance?”
I didn’t get a specific answer
Next I was sitting
across from a black woman
who had ordered
some kind of Japanese food for Us —
tiny servings of rice with sliced pickles
on toothpicks
and a sample of something with peanuts
in a Szechuan sauce
— I was hungry and it was not enough —
She was telling me
“Do You know there’s A Child
Who’s allowed to go on the bus alone —
guess how old She is?”
I blurted out “Two!”
“Try five or six months –”
and just as I was about to ask
if there was any kind of babysitter
I started to eat My Napkin
and woke up
The Hawk Kitchen Outpost 1:22pm
Three birds landed in My Scraggly Apple:
two Starlings and one smaller greyish-brownish variety —
and dropped to the yard
into high grass needing cutting —
but there I saw through the grass
the smaller unknown open His Mouth
and The Starling nearest popped something
inside — I saw this
three times
before The Threesome flew off
and left Me
to tell My Husband
as He came home for lunch —
when My Husband was done
eating His Bagel
He looked out back and was able
to see a return of The Starlings
to the opposite section of Our Yard
whereupon The Youngster
almost hidden by grass
opened His Mouth again
and got fed some more
The Hawk Kitchen Outpost 7:56am
I see The Lining
of The Silver Cloud
out My Kitchen Door
Overcast is what It’s called
but for Me
It’s Evermore
The Hawk Deck 7:55am
Could there be a mate somewhere
to the little bird who died
last night?
Could that bird in The Scraggly Apple
who remained silent
as I watched Him or Her
be at a loss now
for its survival?
The Hawk Deck 9:32pm
I just tossed a little dead bird
off from the bank
where the X-Miss Tree lies
— a capture of Cami —
Who is provided a bell
but which the little dead bird
couldn’t hear
in its sleep
The Hawk Portico 2:25pm
There was that time —
too long a time —
when I would not get dressed
would lie in bed
and wish the worst
upon My Self —
–
Now if I choose to wear
My Pyjamas all day
it is simply because
I am enjoying My Leisure
My Bird Song
and The Waves
The Hawk Deck 11:38am
I have one surviving
heavy ceramic casserole & lid
hand-thrown
which I use all the time
given to Peter & Me
by a pair of artists
— My Mother’s Friends —
it would have been Our 29th
yesterday
–
& one small set of wind chimes
given to Hunter & Me
by a fisherman I grew up with
& His Kindly Sweet Wife
— The Chimes moved this morning
on this 1st Day of June
as I had My Hawk Kitchen Outpost Window
open
The Hawk Deck 9:35am
With My Right Hand over My Eyes
I stand at attention
as The Waves march in
as I held My Hand over
My Heart
as A Child in School
pledging My Allegiance
to The Flag
The Hawk Deck 7:54am
What is it
in the crashing of waves
that makes Peace come to Mind?
It it the accompaniment
of morning birds
or is it sitting in My Chair
out in the morning air
of My Life’s Domain?
Joanna Gilman Hyde 