Eliza’s Corner Room 2:34pm
I saw The Meaning Of Life
open out like The Brown Garment Bag
containing Eliza’s Silver Prom Dress
opening from Its Centre
to reveal The Paradoxical Joke
edged in Raspberry & Gold:
God’s Super Joke —
The Reason For Schizophrenia
The Hawk Deck 10:05am
There may be only so much
I can write about birds
bird life & song
the lull of the waves
has made Me strong
but I must wait
for the outcome
of a medical concern
involving My Children’s Grandfather
The Tomato-coloured Couch 7:00pm
I perceived The Little Yellow Bird again
in The Scraggly Apple
& He Tweeted — what did He Tweet to Me
before My Daughter called to ask
if I could find Her Horse Binder
(She’s trying to sell Her Horse)
Did That Little Yellow Bird Tell Me
He’s sick of all this New Age Shit
about feebleness conquering strength
about Our New Era
when “God” is (finally?) questioned
when Humanity is being examined
when The Global Financial Picture is a blur
— but still no answers —
nothing concrete
so came The Little Bird Tweet
The Tomato-coloured Couch 11:44am
Black Jesus is now driving
a new white Silverado
I saw Him at The Clyde River Exit
& followed Him into Sobey’s in Barrington
where He parked
at The Yellow Sign On The Cart Corral:
“In The Event Of Emergency Gather Here”
He parked in an assembly
of White Vehicles
while I walked into The Store
to get some Cat Food
& fruit for My Sick Daughter
The Tomato-coloured Couch 5:30pm
I married Him under apple boughs
on The Island of My Mother
and when She died
six years later
I would love another
–
I went to see Our Marital House
to see Eliza there
to deliver dishcloths
She was wanting
to see how She had cared
enough to put a sprig of apple
in a bottle neck deep and red
It glowed upon a kitchen sill
I have nothing left to dread
no more hurting husbands
no more dying pets
I am free now
in My Life
even to forget
The Tomato-coloured Couch 12:15pm
This Morning My Daughter reported waking
to the song of multitudinous bird-life
the dehumidifier tray was full
but She had no hot water
in The Atlantic House —
My First Marital Home
with Eliza’s Father
Who picked the colours
& built an addition
complete with screened-in porch
off Our New Bedroom
I sat out there in the shelter of the screens
in My Post-Mother’s-Death Depression
& wondered, along with everyone else,
why I was not happy
The Tomato-coloured Couch 6:30pm
She left tonight for Her Cottage —
Eliza’s Cottage — The Atlantic House She partially grew up in
It’s fifteen minutes closer to Her Summer Job
& She took the dehumidifier from The Hawk
to get the dampness out
She took Her Vegan Food from the cupboards
& left most of Her Clothes in Her Closet
The Lincoln She left in was making Its high-pitched scary noise
but She drove away
anyway
The Hawk Queen Bed 9:11pm
I hear The Peepers through My Left
Surf out to My Right
My Left Hand rests on My Husband’s Thigh
My Pills I’ve taken for The Night
The Day is closing, nondescript
though visited Mother-in-law (ex)
to make sure Eliza’s Prom Dress zipped
(It did)
made home-made pizza —
was a hit
in bed now, early
quit
The Hawk Queen Bed 3:00pm
I’m still in bed, in My Pyjamas
& it’s three o’clock in the afternoon
This condition is ostensibly due to sleep deprivation
from last night when I stayed up too late
fooling around with My joannagilmanhyde web address —
It didn’t get corrected until this morning
with My Husband’s help before work
but I wasn’t able to catch up on the sleep
despite taking an Ativan —
as You may have gathered
My Beauty Sleep relies entirely on pills
& regular routine —
any break in the pattern
& I’m shot for the day
–
personal note: My Daughter Eliza just phoned
that She’s got a summer job at Shelburne’s Osprey Arts Center
Joanna Gilman Hyde 