Joanna Gilman Hyde

"Good Morning, World!"

MY BIGGEST DAY

Sobey’s Parking Lot, Barrington Passage, NS 11:27am

I am going half-naked

into The Night — dressed

in My Lace Black Bra

& Eliza’s thong

with only one piece

of jewellery on My Ring Finger

& My Trusty Watch

upon My Right Wrist

AUTHOR’S READING “THE SCRIPT”

PROPHETIC READING “THE SCRIPT” BY JOANNA GILMAN HYDE

MY FATHER DIED IN HIS SLEEP

The Hawk Kitchen Outpost 8:41am

My Father once gave Me

two clutches of jade grapes

& eggs to go with them —

I put them in an agate bowl

given to Me by My California Sisters

when They came to Howard’s funeral

nearly eight years ago

I wonder where that bowl is now —

I have searched high & low

Did I give it, with contents,

to The Salvation Army — or did I

pack it away in some forgotten cranny

of My three storey house

where I will find it when

I am alone & old?

I WANT TO WRITE MY POEM NOW

The Tomato-coloured Couch 2:39pm

I saw the first of Falling Leaves

in Their spectacular redness

surrounding a mud puddle

in The Post Office Parking Lot

— One landed on My Wind Shield

and caught on a wiper

to lift Itself

to Me

RARE DREAM

The Hawk Queen Bed 8:46am

I had a dream

of My Faithful Old Psychiatrist

Who once boomed

“I will never give up on You!”

I had a dream

He was in love with Me

soft spoken

He held My Hand

& We were the friends

We could never be

TRIBUTE TO MY BROTHER

October 18, The Hawk Living Room 6:30pm

When I hit

20,001,100 metres

on My 10 year-old Concept 2 indoor rower

I raised My Arms

in triumph

& Hunter snapped a picture

forever declaring in that frame

that I was Howard

POSTPONEMENT

The Hawk Kitchen Outpost 12:09pm

When My Daughter visits

My Mother’s Island

will She dance

on Her Grandmother’s Grave?

Will She pick fall foliage

& climb shoreline rocks

scaring The Slumbering Garter Snakes

& The Mink who feed

upon Them?

FURY

The Hawk Kitchen 5:42pm

I’ve asked for My World Trade Center Preliminary Drawings

on actual blue prints

& My Former Husband claims

He can’t find Them in The Atlantic House —

Posh!

I’ve scattered sea salt grounds

laid out in My Mother’s Black Iron Frying Pan

& You Know What?!

I’ve created

yet again

a piece of The Universal

Design!

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH

The Hawk Kitchen Outpost 8:30am

The Sun was Gold when I rose

making pink on Western clouds —

It’s Silver now so I’m told

by Its farthest reach

My Husband & I no longer look

at the precious metals chart —

We are waiting for the dire news

of a collapse in the money mart

FLY BY

The Hawk Deck 10:45am

I (EYE) am eking out

the last of The Summer Air

out here on My Summer Deck

with a load of sparse laundry

on the line

a military plane flies

over to The North

circles over the ocean

around Our House

& We don’t know why