Night Shadows
—Poetry by Joyce Odam and Robin Gale Odam,
Sacramento, CA
—Photos by Robin Gale Odam
POLITIQUE
—Joyce Odam
The day was blank—the day had slipped away.
The day was cunningly warned with super-
stitions—the window glass broke quietly onto
the rug, eyes turned to the photos on the wall,
no one complained, the door opened and closed,
the doorway darkened to a gray—a gentle gray
to remember, just in case, why?! —always too
late to know the whole story, might as well say
"bully" or "fear-rumor" . . . or that agreed-upon,
or disagreed-on, or agreed-to-disagree on agree-
ment, regarding the telling of the long and never-
solved story of the floor still covered with broken
glass on the rug . . . the ever-curious blood on the
floor . . . and the screams—everyone saw the blood.
—Joyce Odam
The day was blank—the day had slipped away.
The day was cunningly warned with super-
stitions—the window glass broke quietly onto
the rug, eyes turned to the photos on the wall,
no one complained, the door opened and closed,
the doorway darkened to a gray—a gentle gray
to remember, just in case, why?! —always too
late to know the whole story, might as well say
"bully" or "fear-rumor" . . . or that agreed-upon,
or disagreed-on, or agreed-to-disagree on agree-
ment, regarding the telling of the long and never-
solved story of the floor still covered with broken
glass on the rug . . . the ever-curious blood on the
floor . . . and the screams—everyone saw the blood.
Yellow Sky
SOAP
—Robin Gale Odam
They all looked perfect,
but there was something else.
Trouble descended the staircase.
Misery peeked out from a shadow.
Old love reappeared, eyes half shut.
Threat and peril renewed their pact.
Worry remembered about sorrow.
Suffering vowed to leave.
Misfortune asked a favor.
They all averted their eyes.
The year arrived with its chill.
They all shivered.
—Robin Gale Odam
They all looked perfect,
but there was something else.
Trouble descended the staircase.
Misery peeked out from a shadow.
Old love reappeared, eyes half shut.
Threat and peril renewed their pact.
Worry remembered about sorrow.
Suffering vowed to leave.
Misfortune asked a favor.
They all averted their eyes.
The year arrived with its chill.
They all shivered.
Three A.M.
A DREAM TO DREAM
turned out to be a fight—
good/evil, vs. v. vs.
—Robin Gale Odam
turned out to be a fight—
good/evil, vs. v. vs.
—Robin Gale Odam
The Dream
TO DREAM AT THREE
—Robin Gale Odam
i was painting in the dream, painting the
dream—the slender brush balanced between
my fingers and my thumb, the bristles long
and fragile, the translucent sky, the color
of night
—Robin Gale Odam
i was painting in the dream, painting the
dream—the slender brush balanced between
my fingers and my thumb, the bristles long
and fragile, the translucent sky, the color
of night
Kites
LOVE WAITS ALONG A FENCE
(A Stitchery)
—Joyce Odam
love waits
along a fence
the swaying trees
no birds yet—love
is so new
some forget
their presence now
without singing
falling through
shadows
under the night
through starlight
under the night
through pale starlight
someone's yesterday
someone's yesterday
the night was long
the hour was long
then I will stay
(A Stitchery)
—Joyce Odam
love waits
along a fence
the swaying trees
no birds yet—love
is so new
some forget
their presence now
without singing
falling through
shadows
under the night
through starlight
under the night
through pale starlight
someone's yesterday
someone's yesterday
the night was long
the hour was long
then I will stay
Believer
EXTINCTION
—Robin Gale Odam
what about extinction . . .
the meandering river,
oxygen, love—
___________________
SOMEONE LIKE YOU
—Robin Gale Odam
I love you still in this complexity of
time that remains in place even as it
moves, because of its nature.
Sound Pulling Away
THE WATER IS STILL
—Joyce Odam
The water is still, the day has shut down,
where is the problem? Echoes surround
with great silence as something came
through silences that we have heard in
silences as before—as always new and
there are rumors, though allowed . . . the
waters are freed, drowning in their reflec-
tions on all the walls—the women are
crying, though crying is not allowed.
This poem is not allowed but only found
now in the circles of the room just as
we arrived—you tried to tell me—I accuse
you now for the new memoration of all such
forbidden words—the water is the ceiling now,
the roof squeezing into the walls to dry, the
rugs on the aisles ruined. Children have
bought all the toys with their tears—I am so
terribly lost by now I am my only believer.
Dinner is late again, boxes of cereal wait too
but they are out of sugar—oh well, again, the
building is up for sale and we must sell or
start again somewhere else—we'll have to
do better next time or give up gambling or
make up something better than this, Dearest.
___________________
Today’s LittleNip:
NOW AND AGAIN
—Robin Gale Odam
Now the ghosts who live in me . . .
i am reminded, now and again, as i
pray for those i love—o give me
anchor, let the waters pour, let the
salt, let the breath—let me rise
to this day, let me let them go,
let me keep them all.
___________________
Pick your battles! The Odam poets have rassled our Seed of the Week—pick your battles—and won, with fine poems and photos to help wind up the last week of March. Many thanks to them for that!
Our new Seed of the Week is “What a Night It Was!” 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.
Tonight at 6pm, Twin Lotus Thai Fourth Tuesdays presents Jeanine Stevens, Ann Michaels, Jill Stockinger, Laura Martin, Laura Rosenthal and John Allen Cann plus open mic in Sacramento. Reservations strongly recommended. Click UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS at the top of this column for details about this and other future poetry events in the NorCal area—and keep an eye on this link and on the Kitchen for happenings that might pop up during the week.
____________________
—Medusa
—Joyce Odam
The water is still, the day has shut down,
where is the problem? Echoes surround
with great silence as something came
through silences that we have heard in
silences as before—as always new and
there are rumors, though allowed . . . the
waters are freed, drowning in their reflec-
tions on all the walls—the women are
crying, though crying is not allowed.
This poem is not allowed but only found
now in the circles of the room just as
we arrived—you tried to tell me—I accuse
you now for the new memoration of all such
forbidden words—the water is the ceiling now,
the roof squeezing into the walls to dry, the
rugs on the aisles ruined. Children have
bought all the toys with their tears—I am so
terribly lost by now I am my only believer.
Dinner is late again, boxes of cereal wait too
but they are out of sugar—oh well, again, the
building is up for sale and we must sell or
start again somewhere else—we'll have to
do better next time or give up gambling or
make up something better than this, Dearest.
___________________
Today’s LittleNip:
NOW AND AGAIN
—Robin Gale Odam
Now the ghosts who live in me . . .
i am reminded, now and again, as i
pray for those i love—o give me
anchor, let the waters pour, let the
salt, let the breath—let me rise
to this day, let me let them go,
let me keep them all.
___________________
Pick your battles! The Odam poets have rassled our Seed of the Week—pick your battles—and won, with fine poems and photos to help wind up the last week of March. Many thanks to them for that!
Our new Seed of the Week is “What a Night It Was!” 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.
Tonight at 6pm, Twin Lotus Thai Fourth Tuesdays presents Jeanine Stevens, Ann Michaels, Jill Stockinger, Laura Martin, Laura Rosenthal and John Allen Cann plus open mic in Sacramento. Reservations strongly recommended. Click UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS at the top of this column for details about this and other future poetry events in the NorCal area—and keep an eye on this link and on the Kitchen for happenings that might pop up during the week.
____________________
—Medusa
—Photo Courtesy of Public Domain
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.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
All you have to do is send poetry and/or
photos and artwork to
kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
All you have to do is send poetry and/or
photos and artwork to
kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
