Barrington Passage, NS 3:32pm
Today I saw My Name
in Lights
arrayed above
the grandiose machine
of Computerized Axial Tomography
Joanna Gilman Blair*
when One Technician asked about
The Middle Name
I thought He said
“Is that Your Real
Name?”
* My Mother named Me after Her Mother Josephine Meadow, and Anna Gilman Hill, American Horticulturist of Grey Gardens
“Here’s The Little Man, way up here deep in the forest.
He’s feeling his way out. He’s looking around.”
“Make him come out.”
“Now The Little Man’s on the edge of a steep cliff–”
“I can see him.”
“Quick– He slides down the cliff– swoop!
He jumps over the next bump to find himself
on padded ground.”
“I see The Little Man, Pappy!”
“The Little Man walks ahead to his little ledge–
He puts one foot in either track– he looks around
and bends his knees and looks to the right
and then to the left.”
“Does he see me?”
“The Little Man looks over
the edge of an even steeper cliff–”
“Does he see me?”
“The Little Man sees a little girl named L’il Bits Boogen
waaay down at the bottom of the cliff.”
“Pappy– make him fly!”
“The Little Man’s looking down–”
“Jump!”
“He’s looking around–”
“He’s gonna fly!”
“The Little Man’s thinking of flying, any second–”
“Make him fly!”
“He’s testing the wind.”
“Make him jump!”
“He’s thinking of jumping–”
“JUMP!”
“Jump! The Little Man’s flying down to Boogie! Weeeee!”
“Weeeeee!”
Joanna Gilman Hyde 