The Turn of the Hour
—Poetry by Joyce Odam and Robin Gale Odam,
Sacramento, CA
—Photos by Robin Gale Odam
BEAUTIFUL WORDS
—Joyce Odam
How will we deal with all these over-
grown flowers of beautiful words that
turn away for the better word, or one
good enough for the tears of so much
love off-track—or one of pretense over
what is sorry for the frailty that loses its
truth—every bouquet, every falling-out,
poor flowers, so wasted against the in-
sincerity, or off-track, or gone—
the beauty of words and the beauty of
flowers do not take the place of love
in its pretense or difficulties.
—Joyce Odam
How will we deal with all these over-
grown flowers of beautiful words that
turn away for the better word, or one
good enough for the tears of so much
love off-track—or one of pretense over
what is sorry for the frailty that loses its
truth—every bouquet, every falling-out,
poor flowers, so wasted against the in-
sincerity, or off-track, or gone—
the beauty of words and the beauty of
flowers do not take the place of love
in its pretense or difficulties.
The Allusion of Words
EPHEMERA TIME KEEPER
—Robin Gale Odam
Now the wolves all look like sheep,
here the keeper at the turn of the hour
with crystalline salt for the trails of tears—
now the bell chime, the allusion of words,
the herald of wind for the meaningless flight,
the rise of a moon to a starless night.
____________________
MUSIC THEORY
—Robin Gale Odam
how long it would take to find the
river—scripted by translation from a
dream, from the sky in black and white,
from the chatter of tiny birds outside the
window above the table in darkest light
where the lamp has flickered itself out
pages flutter down the stairs from the
back door—tremble of music sorrowing
the root of the key signature at the bass
clef, or one of the tiny birds at a bed of
river rocks in a child’s jar with the lid
pierced with holes, near the tree
just outside the window
—Robin Gale Odam
Now the wolves all look like sheep,
here the keeper at the turn of the hour
with crystalline salt for the trails of tears—
now the bell chime, the allusion of words,
the herald of wind for the meaningless flight,
the rise of a moon to a starless night.
____________________
MUSIC THEORY
—Robin Gale Odam
how long it would take to find the
river—scripted by translation from a
dream, from the sky in black and white,
from the chatter of tiny birds outside the
window above the table in darkest light
where the lamp has flickered itself out
pages flutter down the stairs from the
back door—tremble of music sorrowing
the root of the key signature at the bass
clef, or one of the tiny birds at a bed of
river rocks in a child’s jar with the lid
pierced with holes, near the tree
just outside the window
Music Sorrowing
MAYBE A WALTZ
(for Miko)
—Robin Gale Odam
He cradled the cat
in his arms, dancing
slowly, maybe a waltz,
through the rooms of the
house, through the hours,
through the evening.
And at morning, after
the cat lay still, he laid him
tenderly, tenderly there at the
place prepared beneath the tree,
and he wandered the yard in search
of handsome stones and weed-flowers.
He may have wept until twelve hundred
and then, whispering, arranged the
stones, and placed the flowers.
(for Miko)
—Robin Gale Odam
He cradled the cat
in his arms, dancing
slowly, maybe a waltz,
through the rooms of the
house, through the hours,
through the evening.
And at morning, after
the cat lay still, he laid him
tenderly, tenderly there at the
place prepared beneath the tree,
and he wandered the yard in search
of handsome stones and weed-flowers.
He may have wept until twelve hundred
and then, whispering, arranged the
stones, and placed the flowers.
Amen
UNDER MY THOUGHTS
—Joyce Odam
Let me float awhile in Heaven—
in my dream, in my sleep, in my waking.
—Joyce Odam
1.
Let me float awhile in heaven, in my sleep,
in my sleep, in my dream, in my waking.
In my dreaming must I sleep in my waking,
in my blame, in my anger, through my life
must I sleep.
2.
Let me float awhile in heaven,
in my sleep, in my sleep, in my waking
must I sleep in my waking, in my blame,
in my anger, throughout my life of doubt
must I sleep, must I never weep, keep—
weep? keep? I will keep.
Let me float awake in heaven, in my dream.
Let me float awhile in heaven, in my sleep,
in my waking through my life, in my waking,
in my blame, throughout my life.
A Church :
Let me float awhile in Heaven—in my dream,
in my sleep, in my waking, in all my life
throughout a life through dream in doubt,
in my blame in anger—automatic emotions.
3.
Let me float awhile in heaven, in my dream,
in my sleep, in my waking, in all my life
through life, through my dream, in doubt, in
blame, in anger. Must I ever forgive satan.
Must I sleep, must I ever . . . must I
never: weep...keep…? Why so much why?
I will sleep. I will keep...I will meet. I
have ever need of you, you are forever
there—if I ever need you, I am here. Amen
—Joyce Odam
Let me float awhile in Heaven—
in my dream, in my sleep, in my waking.
—Joyce Odam
1.
Let me float awhile in heaven, in my sleep,
in my sleep, in my dream, in my waking.
In my dreaming must I sleep in my waking,
in my blame, in my anger, through my life
must I sleep.
2.
Let me float awhile in heaven,
in my sleep, in my sleep, in my waking
must I sleep in my waking, in my blame,
in my anger, throughout my life of doubt
must I sleep, must I never weep, keep—
weep? keep? I will keep.
Let me float awake in heaven, in my dream.
Let me float awhile in heaven, in my sleep,
in my waking through my life, in my waking,
in my blame, throughout my life.
A Church :
Let me float awhile in Heaven—in my dream,
in my sleep, in my waking, in all my life
throughout a life through dream in doubt,
in my blame in anger—automatic emotions.
3.
Let me float awhile in heaven, in my dream,
in my sleep, in my waking, in all my life
through life, through my dream, in doubt, in
blame, in anger. Must I ever forgive satan.
Must I sleep, must I ever . . . must I
never: weep...keep…? Why so much why?
I will sleep. I will keep...I will meet. I
have ever need of you, you are forever
there—if I ever need you, I am here. Amen
Automatic Emotions
RESERVOIR
—Robin Gale Odam
I had to stifle the crying—
work to do, children to raise,
and all the rest, you know.
I had to save it all up for
later, maybe for now, in the
great boiler with its measuring
devices, timers, pressure
valves, dampers, and the little
foggy windows over the readings.
__________________
TEARDROPS FALL FROM TREES
—Robin Gale Odam
i didn’t know this in my life but now
here they are—in the groves, in titles
and in the landscape of chapters and
footnotes—how a visual phrase, such
as fingers pressed over silver frets in
rosewood, could simply let them fall
—Robin Gale Odam
I had to stifle the crying—
work to do, children to raise,
and all the rest, you know.
I had to save it all up for
later, maybe for now, in the
great boiler with its measuring
devices, timers, pressure
valves, dampers, and the little
foggy windows over the readings.
__________________
TEARDROPS FALL FROM TREES
—Robin Gale Odam
i didn’t know this in my life but now
here they are—in the groves, in titles
and in the landscape of chapters and
footnotes—how a visual phrase, such
as fingers pressed over silver frets in
rosewood, could simply let them fall
When I Tell You
THE TREE
—Joyce Odam
come with me carry my soul
tell me my story make it whole
make it wonder what i mean
when i tell you—tell you again
though you not listen for my sin
i refuse to let that be
one more burden for my tree
heavy with soul birds i can’t see
winds of power heavy with wings
it is only my heart that sings
dare i love my mystery
dare i wonder what i mean
i feel the opening of my soul
i sense the mystery of it all
___________________
Today’s LittleNip:
DAY ONE, FOR INSTANCE
—Joyce Odam
Old father—of my life—of your
wisdom of my resistings, of my
eventual eureka—for the pride
of my learnings, all the efforts,
both yours and mine, the reach-
ing forward into life’s here-and-
now—“the chip” you say “off the
old block”—and you, my teacher—
the worth, the outcome, and finally,
the gratitude—dear, tough, old father.
___________________
The two Odam poets have been at it again this week and have sent us fine, surprising poetry and photos, as always. Our gratitude to them for their diligence and artistry!
Our new Seed of the Week is “Infuriated”. 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, Twin Lotus Thai Fourth Tuesdays presents Jeff Knorr, Lara Gularte, Anna Marie, Jack Schouten and Stephen Frantz plus open mic. Reservations are strongly recommened; that place fills up fast! Click on Medusa's UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS (http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html) 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
—Public Domain Photo
For more about National Poetry Month,
including ways to celebrate, see
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month.
And sign up for Poem-a-Day at
https://poets.org/poem-a-day/, plus
read about Poem in Your Pocket Day
(this year, April 27) at
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day/.
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.
