Some new poetry

Here are a couple of new poems from the past month or two.
Peace - Lori Desrosiers

Toilette
Besides scented milk soap,
there were doilies and daffodils,
a dozen fine white shells cradled
in porcelain Chinese teacups,
forget-me-nots adorned guest towels
bowed tenderly over wooden racks.
Perfect.

Her toilette flowed flawlessly.
In one luxuriant hour of primping,
powdered blushed and blown,
perfumed with jasmine,
painted, lined and laced.
Ready.

He enters unprepared
sweaty, heaving, raw but bold,
wielding black umbrella, throws it
to the spotless Mexican tile floor,
peels off wet denim shirt, reveals chest hair,
falls onto white suede chaise lounge
boots fly, muddying priceless Persian rug.
Come.


Mile Swim at the New New Hampshire State YMCA Camp

Standing in my blue summer-stained one-piece.
Twelve years old, fellow campers’ goose-bumped bodies wait
to start the mile swim across lake Coniston,
rowboats and canoes ready in case of collapse.
I plunge into the icy water, crawl away from the screaming
children on shore, relieved it is not their turn today –
final ritual of Red Cross course. My toes brush
lake muck, seaweed, fishes, shadowy bodies of
unhappy campers forced to swim on rainy days,
early morning polar bears, past wooden docks,
knee scrapers, heart breakers, boys’ and girls’ longing looks,
first touch, underwater counselors in tight white caps…
Out past the others, my strokes are strong..
The tap-tapping of oars,
soft splash of other arms/ feet kicking.

I turn to back paddle.
I am alone in the center of the lake.
Blue, freedom, cloudless sky - future,
Silence smells of dragonflies.
I am queen of the emerald lake,.
Green-gold and shimmery.

I turn back and swim, finishing ahead of the pack.
Soon, I sew a red patch on the heart of my swimsuit.
Small token for a great escape.






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