days when my father took milk and sugar leaving the spoon in his coffee my mother whistled among lilacs and roses mahogany furniture kept well polished special knives and forks only used on holidays
I knew the name of Lilly of the valley not to ever put them in your mouth
there were kittens in the sun porch we watched born from a tabby cat named Felix
there were cherries from our backyard tree so red I thought they were black, tasting like no cherries ever would again
The Girl Next Door By PD Lyons
When I remember Third floor windows Tall white lace sails Summer all running in our veins Her mother in the kitchen Making cool aid and plate full of something Cookie sweet to eat
She wanted me to stay I was afraid, wanted to go home But didn’t want her to know Not wanting to be in this house of too many windows Overlooking the valley
But she wanted me to stay Besides the rains begun Going to be a real storm Already rumblings a darkening horizon
her mother agreed I’ll call your parents. They won’t be worried. You can stay for supper. You like hot dogs don’t you?
that was how I learned not to be afraid of storms Not to hide from thunder or lightning Frances and her mother, exuberant Ohs ahs joy over every Menacing vibration sudden crash Every flash veining skeletal zigzag
So of course over the years I’ve ended up with a collection of a fair few note books. lately I’ve been combing through them for forgotten gems. So here with a light edit is this one. As for the quality of its gem-iness, well I leave that up to you the reader. cheers.
mix media by morgan lyons
There is New Snow
someone has spilled oats on the walk way.
from the stairway I watch below
crows with snow in contrast floating
when my heart is soft enough to weep
then I will call you
when angels fall without escape
then theywill think of us
when all the secrets of our lives revealed
then they will be as blue as they were hidden
when you know everything that you somehow never knew
then you will know the sound of my soft heart calling you