Joanna Gilman Hyde

He was The Object

of M(eye) Desire:

The Pet

and Eye fed Him well

butt was that any way

2 run a marriage?

In the dark of 3 am

Eye was thinking to write

a poem titled Sordid-ity

(where Sordidness is the word)

with brown bedding

and perpetually closed curtains

in the apartment of my X husband’s girlfriend

but then Eye had a dream

of a temporary dorm room

where the bed was in the middle

and she lolled on a day bed

exclaiming she didnt think

she could be faithful.

A door opened across from me

to reveal her disjointed family

and Eye yelled out

“My name is Joanna–

sorry I haven’t met you yet!”

When Eye thought I was moving

Eye threw out my little black X–miss tree

black with feathers stuck on every bow

of Hawk drift wood

with a steak knife for a star

Someone took it from my pile of trash

and Eye was glad

Eye write my poem

beside The Eternal Light

flickering Its electric candle flame

encased in plastic design

with Its dangling red, white & green tag

still attached

Eye have A White Toilet outside

my house

to replace The Golden Throne

Eye threw away

when Eye thought Eye was moving.

Ghost is missing Its water tank lid

so you can see inside

A Little Man of Silver sits

alone in there

and if you lift the white seat lid

you’ll see a Snake of Silver

with forked twistie tongue

* toilet sculpture w/ contents thrown away Sept 12 2022

X — Miss Tree is Up

Festooned in Black Lace, Silver

Baby Jesus, Star

Yesterday Eye hit a sea gull

with my front fender —

He was in a flock

eating garbage at the side of the road

(it was garbage day)

with a couple of crows

who got out of my way —

He flew against my hood

“FUCK” was the expletive

Eye didn’t slow down

Eye didn’t look back

Who was that Man

Eye dreamed Eye was kissing?

Refined visage with grey moustache

He stood in a darkened room

Eye hesitated, butt went toward Him

to kiss Him lightly

then diligently

First big ticket item sold on consignment in a store in Lunenburg called Comfort and Joy to a woman who lives in Lunenburg Nova Scotia

Yesterday on my drive home

Eye observed a mystery in the sky:

The Bulbous Flock of Starlings

undulating in cloud formation

over and across the side of the road

parked on to watch —

They flew like a giant school of fish

as one unit

my first viewing of such phenomena

and phenomenal They were —

finally landing, matting the road-side wires

with Their chattering blackness