From the collection published in 2021, The Immediate and No Sooner.
Shadorma 310
8/13/20
Poppy seeds
in their plastic jar
Finger and
thumb grasp then
you do a shake-a shake-a
and pop the red lid
Shadorma 311
8/13/20
Arms dried out
cracked and pulled away
from shoulders
stiffened up
drawn in tight – my old age but
not: a clay sculpture.
From the collection published in 2021, The Immediate and No Sooner.
Shadorma 304
6/25/20
Angular.
Shrugs broad shoulders
stands modest.
The T-square
real nice job you did. Ceiling fits
flawless on the walls.
Tanka 186
7/10/20
in a light rainfall
off down the hill a mile away
the train whistle blows
a tired and sorrowful voice
worn down around the edges
From the collection published in 2021, The Immediate and No Sooner.
Shadorma 302
6/25/20
Magnify
the pattern lose the
coherence
gain the soft
fleeting vagueness of what you
see and will forget
Shadorma 303
6/25/20
gloss egg-yolk
yellow burned shine black
around the
edges bowl –
scribbled comet caught in glaze
here on our table
From the collection The Immediate and No Sooner, published in 2021.
Shadorma 300
6/25/20
Chair demure
pulled close to table
breathes a word
in its ear
so slight a whisper. Makes sure
the plates do not hear.
Shadorma 301
6/25/20
The straight lines
divide up the view
pleasingly
fragmenting
the lackluster what is to
vivid what could be
From the collection published in 2021, The Immediate and No Sooner.
Shadorma 298
6/25/20
new faces –
old reputations
rolled over
repainted –
we dress now in a new skin
nothing else has changed.
Shadorma 299
6/25/20
The raw boards
lie on the table
to be cut
nailed painted
put to use. The promise of
three parallel lines.
From the collection published in 2021, The Immediate and No Sooner.
Tanka 184
6/25/20
Eleven measured,
examined in increments –
the ruler stretches
reaches out for the number
reels it in. Names it. Knows it.
Tanka 185
6/25/20
aqua-black tangle
electric-shock potential
chevron-pattern coils
curled on the kitchen counter
What species? Power cord snake.
From the collection published in 2021, The Immediate and No Sooner.
Tanka 181
6/25/20
giant glassy eye
rolls in unfocused circles
a small orange speck
darts in and out of vision
floating past the bleary lens
Tanka 182
6/25/20
Sharp nose set to sting
takes steady aim. First easy
then don’t hold back. Bite.
The drill cuts its precise mark.
Fine sawdust floats to the floor.
Tanka 183
6/25/20
Whisk that word that means
beat eggs and cream pale yellow
a froth of bubbles
poured on mushrooms in pastry
shut the oven door. It’s whisk.
From the collection published in 2021, The Immediate and No Sooner.
Haiku 836
6/25/20
window screen sunshine
Gridded-out squares of daylight
can’t confine the sky
Tanka 180
6/30/20
A good hiding place
this stretch of stormy weather
flung across the map
I push aside one raindrop
The next one I climb inside
From The Immediate and No Sooner, 2021.
Haiku 833
6/25/20
Tired waffle weave cloth
swipes its one-millionth wet plate.
Threads fray. Break. A hole.
Haiku 834
6/25/20
three dirty sponges
huddled together squeezed dry
pants of exhaustion
Haiku 835
6/25/20
skylight to ceiling –
up view from inside lampshade.
light bulb eyes its sky.
Here are a couple of short poems from this week.
It Was Her Idea
The baby has been
Squalling
since the
More important matters
were taken care of
just enough to keep Complacency
in check
6/16/22
Shadorma 406
The kitchen
An invitation
empty stage
dank sweatshop
Guess I’ll know what you think when
I eat your cooking
6/17/22
Claudia McGill Writes Poetry, Did You Know That? 