A black baseball cap
A puddle reflecting shattered starlight
A green metal patio chair outside the motel
A bottleneck guitar slide whining the octave
A batiked curtain a California poppy
A J-Church streetcar lurching into sunlight
You’re lost inside your life your voice gone husky
A luna moth on a breezeway lattice
A lime green sport coat the cuffs rolled up past the wrists
An outdoor café the streetlights glowing jaundiced
You’re lost inside your life on another street
A koa baritone uke strumming Moon River’s chords
A handpainted teacup a red pincushion
Black cottonwood limbs in 5:00 a.m. jaundiced fog
You’re asleep on a sofa the light an April goldfinch
A passionate kiss without the least recollection
A driftwood log charred black
An order of french toast the sunlight oozing honey
You’re anxious as usual the coffee cup’s bone white
A waxing moon at 3:00 p.m. a cornflower sky unfurled
A teardrop mandolin a red accordion
You’re lost inside life you’re sporting a Panama hat
A island in Lake Champlain a silver thunderhead
A harmonic minor scale a hawthorne bush
The hardest poem you’ll ever write until
The hardest poem you’ll ever write a long goodbye
Your life will you ever waken
Jack Hayes
© 2010
I listened to the uke strumming Moon River for the rest of the poem. Dream like and delicious.
ReplyDeleteHi Willow: Hey, you got background music! Glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought this was the answer; that I was "lost inside my life"...no I'm not so sure...the imagery here...wow...!
ReplyDeleteI agree with subby. Great imagery.
ReplyDeleteVery enjoyable, especially "..Black cottonwood limbs in 5:00 a.m. jaundiced fog.."
I'm loving this form and still trying to figure it out! Great image. I love the goldfinch light.
ReplyDeleteHi Subby, Martin & Karen
ReplyDeleteSubby: I don't tend to be a guy with just one answer! Thanks for looking & enjoying the scenery on the way.
Martin: Glad you liked it--the cottonwood limbs were very black that morning!
Karen: It would be difficult for me to "map" a form, but I guess I know it when I see it. That's probably not very helpful--sorry! Glad you like them.