The Tomato-coloured Couch 2:15pm
Once, long ago, I was given
a little wooden box
from a man with whom I thought I was in love
the little black & green box was given
with directions:
Keep Your Dreams In This
Years later I gave the box
as a going away present
to a young woman
who was off to France
& once, years after that
I asked her about the little black & green box
& she said:
I think Leham keeps his marbles in it
The Hawk Family Room 12:45pm
In My Little White Gym Suit
Out On The Most Visible Rooftop
In The Whole Wide World
I Laid Out My Spiral Of Colour
For Humanity
& Let My Hair Down
Dressed In See-thru Black
For The Signing Of A Lifetime
The Hawk Family Room 7:00pm
My Elementary Art Teacher
Miss Fabian
was little & wore tight sweaters
Her Hair was Black
She wore Black Pants
& told Me Artists usually stand
to do Their work
I don’t remember My Intermediate Teacher
but I made a giant bobby pin
& won an art certificate
at the end of Sixth Grade
My High School Art Teachers
were Miss Cotterall, little & blond
Who taught Me the basics
of Jewellery Making —
Miss Hues —
She was dark-skinned
& I painted a water-colour portrait
of Her in a patch-work skirt —
Mr McDowell
was the Track Coach
Who later told Me He was proud
to have contributed in some small way
to My Success
The Hawk Corner Room 5:12pm
I have given up
on Black & Purple
— That Lethal Combination —
even when My Black Cat sits
beside a pair of Purple
UGG Boots by The Kitchen Door
I think of My Art School Satin Lips
& Black Fuzzy Bed
of Purple Phalli
I am no longer interested
in The Symbolism of The Night
of hidden passions
under cover of Darkness
I am in The Sedate
Components
of The Spectrum
The Tomato-coloured Couch 1:55pm
DHW
You can’t get Me
by presenting health care professionals
dressed in black
dropping Me into The Black Abyss
of the blood-letting chair
making Me have to go to The Pristine Public Wash Room
where I heavily considered drawing Your Initials
on the wall above The Mirror —
and Outside!
Everywhere it seemed I heard
Your well-used “See Ya!”
You showed Me every arrangement
of Your Initials on license plates
but I knew I could get home
where I could take an Ativan
under My Direction
Public Health Office, Barrington approx. 10:00am
I am no longer in league
with The Aliens
in Their Purple & Black
I wear White & Aqua now
Beige, Grey, Dark Brown
still have My Blue Jeans
& Linen Tops
All My Black Articles
have been tossed —
Eliza took Two Black Garbage Bags
to The Salvation Army
but was mad at Me
for throwing Them out —
Hunter understands
The Hawk Kitchen 8:00pm
Purple is The Colour of My Heart
vacated
Silver The Colour of My Jewels —
Red is My Fury
no longer suppressed
These Three Components
sustain Me
now that The Little Man in Black
is Gone
The Tomato-coloured Couch 4:33pm
I feel like throwing out
all My Black Clothes —
The Black Jesus Clothes
were for an operation
of secrecy & deceit
–
what colours can I resurrect?
Red & White
The Colours of Alarm
–
I am My Own Statement
of Alarm
Black Jesus is called off
–
Red is My Colour
& White is My Flag
My Canadian Flag
with Silver carrying Me
As I Fly
Joanna Gilman Hyde 