Joanna Gilman Hyde

"Good Morning, World!"

The Sun Beams In On Me

The Tomato-coloured Couch 4:27pm

The Sun beams in on Me

through My Psychotic Haze

subsided — I no longer

hear songs on the radio

as messages to Me Alone

I no longer see blazing signs

of futuristic Life & Love

My Halo has vanished

I am “settled” now —

a word the hospital used —

I even heard & saw

A Lone Goose fly overhead

while I shovelled off

the paltry snow

from the front steps —

there too in The Sun —

& The Goose

carried no significance

other than He

must be lost

while I am found

PORTRAIT OF A CAT

The Hawk Kitchen 10:15pm

My Tall Black Cat

sits by the door

of glass

looking out to the snowy deck

turning back

to Me

to mew

AFTER THE SNOW

The Hawk Outpost 4:30pm

The Sky has a hue

of aqua green

against the three or so

inches of white

The Colour is delicate

transitional

a gull flies through It

out of view

AFTER MIDNIGHT

The Hawk Corner Room 3:29pm

Eye have zipped up

that Night of Black Magic

two garments away

for never another evening

of seeing M(eye) Silver Halo

directing M(eye) Every Measure

of preparation

— Eye am de-throned now

baking a cake

that’s come out flat

& scratching DHW

off My January Page

THE SKY IS SILVER!

The Hawk Dining Room 9:26am

The Ocean is a pale grey

beyond a fore drop of snow white

The Sun is My Luminous Disc

playing against the water

in streaks of golden silver

& clouds of darkened flakes

DEAR DAVID:

The Hawk Corner Room 3:34pm

Let’s give up

this fairy tale business

I’m straight in the head

& will not fall into a trance

seeing You across a parking lot

I will not grab You in public

& try to kiss You

like The Princess

& The Frog

please let’s end this

lifetime of Love

hidden & declared

I have said enough

& You have withheld

Your Dream

DOUBLE LOVE

The Hawk Corner Room 3:08pm

While I have exposed

My Love

to Anyone Who will listen

He has kept His hidden

from Everyone

but

Me

EASTERN GLOW

The Hawk Dining Room 8:27am

The Sky in The East

is fringed low with Gold

The Sun is somewhere

behind The Grey

The Ocean is Black

marred by waves

My Day is gathered

with Me She’ll stay

ASLEEP

The Hawk Corner Room 1:10pm

My Bed is laid

with The Quilt of Purple Ripples

under an array

of framed memorabilia

of Self Organizing Galaxy

in Eliza’s Room

while She is away

messing about in boats

Winter

The Tomato-coloured Couch 5:20pm

I knew a daughter once

with long thick wavy hair

dark

Who couldn’t speak

except to yell

a guttural cry

in any public place —

Her Mother named Her Winter

& told Me a doctor said

at the snowy October birth

“Either You’re going to die

or Your Baby will”