The Yarmouth Psychiatric Unit, Yarmouth NS
about ten years ago
Take One Firm Believer
Who Thinks She’s It
Throw In A Dose Or Two Of Scepticism
Stir It All Up
Heap On A Prayer
Cook On High
Until Ready To Serve
The Hawk West Desk Window 12:05pm
I Have A New Bible
to Thump —
Open It Clean Down The Middle
& Pummel It With Your Thumbs:
It’s Titled The Joanna Hyde School of Thought —
Believe In Your Self First
then believe in God
The Hawk West Desk Window 5:10pm
If I were God, Which I Am,
I would decree the legalization
of Gay Marriage
the decriminalization of Street Drugs & Prostitution
the illegalization of Abortion
the equalization of God & Humanity
The Tomato-coloured Couch 3:41pm
I always said I never lived
with a broken heart,
but My Mother broke My Heart
when She died
twenty years ago,
but I lived
with My Broken Spirit
taken over by God —
God stepped in
— stepped on My Heart —
He made Me see a Shower of Lights
Which did not fill Me
with inner peace
I was restless
not sleeping
years on medication —
I’m still on it —
I cannot drink The Red Wine
of mirth
without sleep disturbance
I need My Sleep
My Peace Restored
The Tomato-coloured Couch 6:48pm
My Preciousness I will dress for You
in White & Silver
to meet You at The Pearly Gates
with a bouquet of Almond Roses
I will take Your Right Hand with My Left
as I have longed to for these back-to-back decades
I will be in Contrast to Your Blackness
to Your Latency
I will provide The Opposition
for Our Reconciliation painted Grey
The Hawk Corner Room NOON
My Shower of Silver Lights
goes untainted
to shine BIGGER & BRIGHTER & BETTER
than It ever was
before
It’s Mine
ALL MINE
The Hawk Bench of Fortification 2:45pm
Through My Anger
Through My Female God’s Anger
I will Construct
not peace (that’s so old it hurts)
I will Construct
a New Way of Seeing
for The Whole Planet
— oh, It may take Some Time —
but I’m aiming to use My Time
until I Die, and then some
Joanna Gilman Hyde 