Joanna Gilman Hyde

"Good Morning, World!"

Tag: red

THIS MORNING

The Hawk Kitchen 11:30am

This Morning I lay on My Back

in The New Dentist’s Chair

& looked up to see My Future

emblazoned on The Ceiling:

The Flashes

The Split Seconds

i-dent-i-fied Me

& I had on My Bulletproof Vest

not like The Twilight Star

in red brocade

THE HAWK RED DECK CHAIR

3:42pm

Light fog has been heated up

by hurricanes Leslie and Michael

as I listen to My Southerly Surf

with an intermittent skill saw

I hope stops going

I’ve applied The 1st Coat

of Silver Nail Polish

to both sets of Fingers

here in My Red Deck Chair

on a Sunday Afternoon

2 days before The Exact Anniversary

now I’ll apply The 2nd

ON THE WAY TO YARMOUTH

My Birthday is The Same Day

as Stephen Harper’s

I’m 3 months older

than Obama

This Is No Coincidence

My Name Is

Joanna Gilman Hyde

I AM YOUR BLACK JESUS

I have on My Daughter’s Black Kicks

My Mother’s Silver Nugget Ring

My Heart is Red

My Skin is White

& I Am Female

Dual Citizen of  The West:

Half American — Half Canadian

I Will Run Forever

To Be Caught By One

Tiny Little Man

yet to emerge

as My Biggest Half

Loblaws Inc.

Country of Origin:  China

NG Item #:  176888

Description:  TGF2FW8468  Molded Beanboot

CTN. QTY Master:  12 PR

Carton #  915 (inked in) of 4884

UPC Code #  10057846044405

I’M INSIDE A GOD DAMN F–ING FAIRY TALE

The Waves are merely seductive

They’re keeping Me here

on The Deck

or in The Bedroom with windows open

Last Night I yelled to My Perturbed Husband

I might not write again —

I might go babbling My Head off

whenever & wherever I felt like It —

saying anything I feel

& if I get carted away by The Police

I would just say “Sorry Officer —

I choose to write verbally

& My Delivery is NOT SEDUCTIVE”

THE VALLEY COTTAGE PORCH

I was That Girl

in a red terry tank top

no bra

gold medallion around My Neck

hair piled upon My Head

legs crossed, long & tan

My Saucy Smile

won My Man

I was eighteen there

& piped the dream

“Living In Nova Scotia”

here — now — on My Deck

in My Brand New LL Beans

belted, shirt tucked in

breasts in place

expecting Peak

& Hunter & maybe Eliza

for Nachos

THE SHOWER

I turned on The Water

in what’s called Eliza’s Shower

& unbuttoned My LL Bean Rose Striped Linen Shirt

in The Mirror, Eliza’s Mirror

& took off My Grey Capris

which I have to throw out

because My Husband told Me

They go up The Crack of My Butt

I took off My Underwear

& tossed It in Eliza’s Laundry Basket

I took off My Unwieldy Bra

& hung It on a doorknob

How Long Is This Poem Going To Be?

I looked at My Body’s Profile

& decided if I look fat

I am probably about to get My Period

I stepped in behind The Curtain

The Stall was dirty

I put cleanser on a cleaning rag

I cleaned while The Spray was on Me

& rinsed The Tub

My Hair Was Wet

I squeezed out some Nizoral

Red In My Left Hand

& lathered My Hair

The Directions advise to leave It in

for 3-5 minutes

so I stepped back out

to look at My Watch

It told Me I was in The Twenty-second minute

OH!  That’s When I Cleaned The Tub!

I cleaned The Tub & then Me

& rinsed My Hair

& got out

I towelled off in a clean towel

& took My Clothes

back to My Room

to put on Different Clothes

& Do You Know What I Put On?

I put on Black Underwear

My Black Push-up Bra

Black LL Bean Capris w/ Comfort Waist

Black Tank

Silver Earrings

Wedding Rings

Quartz Crystal & Diamond Question Mark Ring

& My Ladies Bulova Open-heart Watch

I bought for My Self

TIME IS OUR MEDIUM

I am checking My Views

for Self Organizing Galaxy

@ 9:11am & 9:11pm

Atlantic Standard Time

THE HAWK LAUNDRY 10:30am

2 days ago

I dreamt of My Daughter

age 4

in a Red Velvet Dress

running across a field

to Me

laughing

I called out to a nearby friend

“I Made Her

including untidy & rude–”

Scooped Up My Beloved Child

& Kissed Her Red Left Cheek

Today I Hand Wash

Her Teenage Underwear

I Straighten Out Her Thongs

Hang Up Her Red Bra

On The Laundry Rack

To Dry In The Sun

01:50pm

The Big Red Spot

from My Period

on the well-rumpled bottom sheet

is My Red Star

STOP

with My Big Black Astro

pawing around

the wrinkles

BLACK

STOP

WHITE

STOP

RED

6:15pm

A Canadian Maple Leaf

is A Star

RED STAR

undulating

Above The Blue Horizon