My Big Black Super Cat Astro
is sprung from My Right Shoulder
like The Head of The Beautiful Dark Haired Woman
Who told Me nineteen years ago Today
in The Most Melodious Voice
I had ever heard:
“You Know The Meaning Of Life
& So You Are A Star —
so go to sleep”
The Hawk West Desk Window 10:22pm
I was That Ballet Dancer
twirling madly in any psychiatrist’s fantasy
exposing My 101 Split-second Facial Expressions
aimed at an imaginary upper corner Camera —
or was It Imaginary?
in a room of no furnishings
except for one rubber mattress
repeatedly blanketed over
by Me
to grow a garden
of hair & spit
before My Assemblage
got
WRECKED-ified
The Hawk Portico 5:00pm
Boy am I glad I got
My Canadian Citizenship
— at first I thought
I had to relinquish My American
but I didn’t —
so I got My Canadian in 1995
I call My Self a Dual Citizen
Born American
Canadian By Choice
and as a Canadian, under
the provisions of the Citizen Act and,
as such, [am] entitled to all the rights
and privileges and [am] subject
to all the duties and responsibilities
of a Canadian Citizen
The Hawk Portico NOON
When I hear The Squawk of The Jay
It stirs something in Me
some nebulous touch of nostalgia
I cannot put My Finger on
It has something to do with My Childhood
or My Growing Up
solitary in Valley Cottage
maybe in The Backyard Woods —
I had few friends:
one kooky one
Who always chanted “Hyde Hyde —
Take Me Outside”
when I was happy to oblige
after some pretend reluctance
The Hawk Living Room 6:40pm
I wrapped The Corpse
of My Mother
in Saran Wrap
so I could see Her better
& carried Her inside the house
My House
so I could hear Her better
I refrained from putting Her
inside the freezer
& carried Her instead
to the downstairs bathroom
to partake in the ceremony
befallen all The Others
Note: This was written on the last page of My Keith Haring Journal
My Cat Astro
I Love So Much
hissed at Me today
when I manhandled Him
onto My Lap
I’ve never heard Him hiss before —
I will never treat Him
so brusquely again
–
I might get a tattoo
“PROLIFE”
on My Forehead —
of course I want The Cows to be happy
& The Rancher’s Mink to be beautiful
handled humanely
but We’ve got to have The Line
between Human
& Animal
Joanna Gilman Hyde 