Like Poetry!

 

Daybook
—Poetry by Joyce Odam and Robin Gale Odam,
Sacramento, CA
—Photos by Robin Gale Odam

Buds are forming on the tulip tree,
a hummingbird darting there, so frail,
flitting there like joy—like poetry.

—Joyce Odam 

(prev. pub. in Brevities, July 2017)

_________________

COFFEE
—Robin Gale Odam

The sip at 3 a.m., for the half dream
of the fourth quarter of the long hour
behind the ticking minutes—staccato
of memory, entry in a daybook.

Bitter,    cold,    black—another sip.

                          
(prev. pub. in Brevities, October 2017)

___________________

COMPANION
—Joyce Odam

I honor the old cat
who wants to sit in my chair . . .
who wants to be
where she wants to be . . .
I allow her
that.

                 
(prev. pub. in Brevities, October 2017)

 

 

 

  Ghosting The Mind

 

 
GLASS BIRDS DO NOT FLY
—Joyce Odam

exactly
except in
imaginations
that help them
somehow to
ghost the mind—
admiring and envious

                           
(prev. pub. in Brevities, July 2017)

__________________

FOR WHAT THEY HUNGER
—Robin Gale Odam

seagulls glide through the fog,
graceful figures circling, soaring,
searching for what they hunger

basso songs of reflection lift out of
the old harbor, morning still dreaming


(prev. pub. in Brevities, September 2017)

 

 

 

Into The Morning

  

THE MOCKINGBIRDS, SINGING
—Joyce Odam

at night,
    through the night,
        into morning—

to the listening
    —or the bothered,
        the receptive—

some kind of mystery,
    the birds . . .
        the listening . . .

                                  
(prev. pub. in Brevities, October 2017)

____________________

INSOMNIA XXII
—Robin Gale Odam

breathing through the night
in the span of the octave
darkness in color
sterling crystals at the cheek
now the dew-point droplets form

                      
(prev. pub. in Brevities, September 2017)

 

 

 

Tell Me Where

Pretty little butterfly,
flitting here and there,
whither dost thou goest?
I pray thee, tell me where.

—Joyce Odam 

(First poem, remembered, c. 1931/32;
prev. pub. in Brevities, August 2017)

_________________

RELATIVITY
—Joyce Odam

In the waving of the grasses
I sense the wind
rather than the grass.

If movement is felt, then what
of stillness
that is not felt?

If I think in detail—ever in
state of change, how can I trust
my own thinking?

In the waving of the grasses
I sense the grass
rather than the wind.

                            
(prev. pub. in Brevities, November 2017) 

 

 

 

 The Long Hour

 

YOUR EYES MET MINE

I drew myself on canvas, drew
myself to the night, drew myself
to you—ever since . . .

—Robin Gale Odam

 
(prev. pub. in Brevities, September 2017)

__________________

WHEN SHE DANCED
—Joyce Odam

I was there when she danced
way into the night
and you watched her dance.

And I sat quietly back,
writing this poem,
and watched you fall in love.
                       

(prev. pub. in Brevities, October 2017)

 

 

 

Of A Poem

 

 

Today’s LittleNip:

THIS IS SO SIMPLE
—Joyce Odam

words on a line of a poem
like birds of music on a wire

(the wind swaying between)

like birds of music on a wire
like words on a line of poetry

                          
(prev. pub. in Brevities, July 2017)

_________________

Good morning from the Kitchen, with today’s worthy poets, Joyce and Robin Gale Odam! They write today about our Seed of the Week, Endurance—the endurance that is nature, and nighttime, and love. And poetry, of course~

Our new Seed of the Week is “Picnic”. Send your poems, photos & artwork about this (or any other) subject to kathykieth@hotmail.com. No deadline on SOWs, though, and for a peek at our past ones, click on “Calliope’s Closet”, the link at the top of this column, for plenty of others to choose from. And see every Form Fiddlers’ Friday for poetry form challenges, including those of the Ekphrastic type.

Be sure to check each Tuesday for the latest Seed of the Week.

__________________

—Medusa

 

 

 

 “… through the night, into morning…”

—Public Domain Photo



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For upcoming poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
(http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html)
in the links at the top of this page.

Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.

 

LittleSnake’s Glimmer of Hope:
dozing on one leg
great blue heron
spreads luck
over the lake