Joanna Gilman Hyde

"Good Morning, World!"

Tag: mother

July 12, 2013

THE SIGN

The Tomato-coloured Couch 3:10pm

Once there was a little girl

whose mother died from a brain tumour

& the little girl didn’t sleep for four days

On the fourth day, March 31st 1993

the little girl looked for a sign

that she was going to be al-right

& the phone rang —

a nurse from the hospital was calling

to see if the little girl was al-right

& when the little girl said:

“DoDo, I Don’t Know How I Am”

The Nurse said She Would Come Right Over

The Little Girl hung up the phone

& went into Her Mother’s Kitchen

(but She doesn’t remember why)

whereupon She was struck

with the realization of an all-knowing

all-seeing Presence

She didn’t know what had just happened

so She went back to the daybed

where She had been trying to sleep

& as She sat, was sitting

The Cathedral Ceiling above

suddenly filled with Silver Streaks

of Light

Showering Down Upon Her

as She Cried Out

“Oh My God!

OH MY GOD!

OH MY GOD!”

 

4 Comments
July 10, 2013

PLAY ME

The Hawk Library 6:11pm

Dr Blair Play Me

like the remote

that came with Your New Air Conditioner

play all the buttons

over & over

beneath the old portraits

of My Mother, Her Gay Lover

& My Grandfather —

lull Me into submission

down below the New Device

creating cool new air

breathing upon

Our Marriage

Leave a comment
July 4, 2013

DEPENDENCE DAY

The Tomato-coloured Couch 6:22pm

In This Red Book

I Write Instruction

for Women of Child-bearing Years

I Write Steadfast Instruction:

Lay Down Your Tools

of Abortion

Think

of The Twins

Think

of The Single Entities of Humanity

Look At What You Are Doing

To Your Selves

And To The People Who Love You

Think

of What Possession

You Have Been Given —

How Can You Not Want It?

He And She Are A Significant Part

of You

And You Are

All Of Them

Leave a comment
June 30, 2013

ETHER

The Hawk West Desk Window 9:40pm

When I was eight

I had My Tonsils & Adenoids out

& answered a nurse’s question

“Do You have a Boy Friend?”

“My Step Brother”

I was told to count backwards from ten

with the Ether Mask on —

I made it to nine

& when I woke up

I sat up

immediately

a nurse came running over

I was put temporarily in a room

with TV’s on the ceiling

& My Mother took Me out

reluctantly

whereupon I threw up at the check-out counter

trying to aim for a proffered garbage can

At Home I feasted on ice water

& mint chocolate chip shakes

& did My school work

with a very nice tutor/babysitter

for ten days

before going back to school

ten pounds lighter

& telling everyone how badly

My Throat hurt

& how much I loved Ice Water

Leave a comment
June 30, 2013

WEDNESDAY’S CHILD

The Hawk Kitchen 11:40am

One Day This Week

I grew into A Giant

somewhere between

Prom on Saturday

& Graduation on Thursday —

It was Wednesday

I came out of The Bathroom

Naked

& felt My Shoulders Rise

My Chest Heave

My Legs Muscle Up —

I felt My Self Grow

like Alice In Wonderland

& climbed the stairs DOWN

to go tell Hunter:

“I’m A Giant —

I’m A Giant!”

–

I’m A Giant of A Mother

I’m A Giant of A Wife

I’m A Giant of A Lover

I’m A Giant of My Life

Leave a comment
June 23, 2013

ELIZA TIME

The Hawk Deck 4:30pm

Twenty Years Ago

I wrote in a hospital:

“I CREATED MY SELF

BUT I GIVE GOD

THE CREDIT”

(Then I got intentionally pregnant)

Now I Say:

“I MADE UP MY DAUGHTER —

I PLANNED HER

TO BE A WOMAN WHO

CAN DO

ANYTHING

(and SHE HAS TO BE BEAUTIFUL)”

Eliza, born into water

came out

P-E-R-F-E-C-T

(& God had nothing to do with it)

7 Comments
June 22, 2013

PROMENADE

The Tomato-coloured Couch 10:22pm

I wore a necklace of shells

My Father sent from Africa

when I was four

She — My Daughter — wore

Her Dress Of Silver — size 2

shaped like a mermaid

& visited Her Other Grandfather

in The Hospital —

He said

“You Look Like A Fish”

2 Comments
June 22, 2013

INSIDE

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

2 Comments
June 20, 2013

LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING

The Hawk Deck 12:30pm

I stood in My Bedroom Entry Way

dust mop upright

fresh from going under The Bed

& a little bit around

(I do very light housekeeping)

I heard the song on Sirius

“This is Your Life —

This is Your Time –“

& yes, I do feel I am in My Time:

the only father-in-law I’ll ever have

has taken this 20th summer since My Mother died

to die very probably

of the same ailment

Leave a comment
June 15, 2013

MY ULTRA-VISION IS SILVER

The Hawk West Desk Window 2:25pm

My Ultra-vision is Silver

even in a sudden black-out

on a Saturday Afternoon

with dinner guests scheduled to arrive

@ 6:00

I have polished the salt shaker

but not the candelabra

I have set the table

with My Mother’s Silverware

— The Dish, Chicken Polenta, is prepared —

— just has to bake —

when & if My Electric Oven

turns on

Leave a comment