Lewis Street

My first Poem "Perfect" published in the Jan/Feb 2008 issue of Oklahoma Today Magazine

2008-01-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

Perfect

Valentine’s day in Pawnee,
Oklahoma cedar
trees with too much sap,
churches, schools, and rich houses
made from brownish-red fossil rock
construction paper cut
pink and red perfect hearts
and art room scissors too dull
when I tried to cut a half
into a whole, my lines crooked
lop-sided, Mr. Hart
the art teacher’s heart unfolded
had perfect cleavage
more perfect
than mine. He drew lines
without thinking, looking,
standing behind my metal chair
whipped his switch against
the air, whoosh lifted my brown hair
I kept my neck lowered
when he leaned close and whispered,
Your heart isn’t a heart at all!
Uneven failure for mother.

Doreen Hatfield could make perfect hearts.
She poured Elmer’s glue
along a perfect line, like winter
sprinkling glitter for snow
before I had my pencil sharpened.

Decorated brown sacks lined the window sill ledge
everyone would get a valentine
because teachers, not Mr.Hart,
pretended to love us all. Some rich boys’ and girls’ sacks
were stuffed with envelopes sprouting
“To Robert with love.”
I was average just like my heart,
my sack half full was good enough
cherry Kool-aid and cookies was all that mattered anyway.

Cy Horsechief didn’t live in a house made from fossils,
big and shy, didn’t speak, lived on the Pawnee reservation
lingered at lunchtime and poured sugar on his goulash,
teachers his only valentines.
One year I was brave
and dropped a box of chalk heart
candy in his sack
helped him with his math,
he would nod when I coaxed him.
After that year, my hearts were perfect.

Annette / A poem

2008-01-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

Annette

Burning with fever
I tried to sit up
on the cracked, plastic sofa
to sip the orange bean
soup she’d placed
next to my head, but heaviness
pushed me
down
the air was heat, mixed vapors,
natural gas rising
angels from the radiator next
to the sloped window.
My lumpish eyes looked out
to see her bending,
pulling water
up
from the well.

clc

My son is with Hannah Montanna

2008-01-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

My son is a drummer. He travels with a group called Everlife out of Nashville. He just left to finish up the last leg of the tour with Myley Cyrus's (sp) Hanna Montanna tour in Florida. He lives what seems to be a glamorous life...but he doesn't make a lot of CONSISTENT money...doesn't matter to him....he's happy. He also plays bass for a group called Jacksonwaters also based in Nashville...signed with Word Records. Their songs have been on One Tree Hill..very exciting. I live in Yukon so I miss hearing him play in the garage and around the house. He's twenty-four now. I'm very proud of him. He's a great musician. He will be with Jacksonwaters on February 9th at Eskimo Joe's if anyone wants to hear a great band!!!

Just some thoughts from a proud mom.

Poem/Lewis Street

2008-01-18T18:07:00.000-08:00

Lewis Street

grey and white house
where I would dream
wait for time
to pass its beat
over me; on Lewis street
on the cool grey
porch I would lie
cement sticking
to my thigh
rough and smooth
against my skin
I mourned the days again.
And in the mornings
I would pray
asking for a different day
to lay my head on
the cool grey metal of my bed
my chin resting, on the edge
hiding and waiting
on Lewis Street

Lewis Street

2008-01-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

I am a Mom, English teacher, singer/songwriter, poet, and piano player. I teach Middle School students every day....they are brilliant!! I am really trying to learn how to navigate through all of the computer technology that my students take for granted. They are very kind to teach me what I don't know and still respect the fact that I know other things that they don't know. I do love to learn so that should help. I'm happy to be here!