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
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
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)
The Hawk Deck 11:00am
I have turned into
a religious figure
dressed in purple robe
& sun hat
holding My mauve & gold
Journal
on My Knee
I hear the birds
a lawn mower
& write
of The Solace
I seek for Others
Who may share
My View
of The Internal God
Joanna Gilman Hyde 