Joanna Gilman Hyde

"Good Morning, World!"

Tag: Dr W Hunter Blair

HAVEN

The Hawk Hallway 5:10pm

Why turn to an opalescent sky

for the answer to Our Eternal Question

WHY?

Why renounce My American Citizenship

fearful of being found out

as a culprit of 911

as a proud New Canadian since 1995

living in Peace & Security

with no plans to go back

to visit friends & relatives

in The Beleaguered US of A?

Why watch CNN

to see Obama

commiserate

with the survivors

of fallen children?

Why live next door

to a massive giant

of woe & destruction

for the sake of a spit of sand

where I may walk in private?

Why?

Because I ended up here —

is it that simple?

Because I had The Dream

of “Being A Famous Artist

Living In Nova Scotia”

where now I am tied

to My Property

Progeny

One or Two Husbands —

where is My Dream taking Me Now?

It’s A Haven

With Glass Walls

CLUE

The Hawk West Desk Window 9:38pm

I am wearing My Pro-Life Underwear

The Pair Jim Chandler* couldn’t guess

the colour of

when My Views were over 750

–They’re over 1,800 Tonight —

I have written to DHW

“I no longer see My Progeny

as Children”

* Child Psychiatrist

!BOING!

The Hawk Bathroom 2:22pm

Joanna’s Sleep Regimen:

Lithium Carbonate 300 mg

take 2 capsules @ bedtime

Synthroid 50 mcg

take 1 tablet once a day

Nova-Olanzapine 10 mg

take 1 tablet @ bedtime

Apo-Lorazepam 1 mg

take 1 tablet as needed*

* I have begun taking

this anxiolytic (Ativan) regularly @ bedtime

& IT HAS ROUNDED OUT

MY SLEEP

I NO LONGER WAKE UP EARLY

WITH JOLTS OF ANXIETY

I ATTRIBUTE THE ABOVE PRESCRIPTIONS

TO MY SLEEP RESTORATION

AND THUS

TO MY OVERALL WELL-BEING

DEMON-STRATION

The Tomato-coloured Couch 1:11pm

I live with A Demon

of My Own Creation

caged above Me

in My Living Room

He is black & dirty

with giant bird shit

dripping off the upper right corner

of His Chicken Wire Cage

first laid across Him

on the 4th Floor

of Cooper Union’s Foundation Building

where He came to Life

never to speak — only to glare

with His Brilliant Eyes

down upon His Audience —

Yet Today He Speaks!

Through Me as I speak out

for The Creature of My Fierce Fear —

My Fear of being locked in

or up

or out

as I have been locked inside

psychiatric wards

for years on end

I am OUT NOW

& I can speak My Mind

no matter how It comes out

I AM BLACK JESUS — but

not because I am dressed in black

I AM BLACK JESUS — because

I can speak

for My Desperate Crow — d

THE HAWK QUEEN BED 9:45am

Last Night I slept on The Hide-A-Bed

in Eliza’s Corner Room

My Husband was coughing badly

so I got up & out @ 11:00

to open The Hide-A-Bed

& make it up with cheap Egyptian sheets

& a satin cover I made in My First Marriage

never used

I pulled up the shade Eliza always has down

& lay on My Hide-A-Bed

looking up to The Sky

awash in star glitter

MOTHER’S DILEMMA

The Hawk Kitchen 10:22am

I see My Rings stacked

up on the tail

of a ceramic cat

poised at My Kitchen Sink:

My Big ? Ring

& My Wedding Rings

Hunter bought Me years ago

eyed by My Daughter

from Time To Time

— I know She would love an engagement ring

from Her Very Serious Boyfriend

& if She got one

would that assure Me

She would not be as promiscuous

as I was?

Would She be as happy

as She could be

& for how long?

With The World Waiting For Her

at such a young age

could She be

a Cape Island House Wife?

Though isn’t that what I am —

secure in My Maturity

happy in My Place?

THE WEST DESK WINDOW 10:15pm

Do My Bodily Cells Know

the acquaintance of My Husband’s?

The Cells all live separately

though We occupy The Same Room.

Do Our Cells Know Each Other’s Bodies?

We smell the same smells

& hear the same sounds —

though when My Husband has ringing in His Ears

do My Ears Know It?

GRASP

The West Desk Window 9:45am

I am experiencing Separation Anxiety

from The Selling

of My Mother’s Island House

She’s possessed for 50 Years —

in the cloak of The Shower

I cling all the harder

to The Little Man

while My Doctor/Husband

prescribes Ativan

REFLECTION

The Tomato-coloured Couch 6:10pm

What does The Image of A Man

signify?

wealth, status

— how much He loves Me —

when He kisses Me in His Office

is He really My Husband

or is He That Dressed VIP

I so desired We wrecked

2 marriages?

THE CRYING DREAM

The Hawk Kitchen 5:20am

I just woke from a crystal dream

of watching an elderly Bride

through a car window —

Hunter was with Me in the car —

The Bride was sitting, waiting

in a white wool knitted cap

there was a sign next to Her:

“Wedding Today”

She had smudged fuchsia lipstick

& and black hair beneath Her cap

but She was OLD

Her elderly Groom came to Her Right Side

holding a Single Black Rose

with a little brown bird ornament

which He offered to pin on His Bride

She hesitated but was glad to receive It

I watched & I cried

I cried

& cried