Figs

by Bea Garth
copyright 2008
I reach up
and pick the tender sacks
amongst the gnarled branches
the sun filling both the fruit and my desire
barely shaded by the sparse green leaves
as I think of us
in the wee hours of the night and morning
describing the twists of the honey bee
and the bounty of the Goddess
saving us [...]

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Waking To A Thought Of A Shark

by Bea Garth
copyright 2008
You tell me your mind is like a white shark
as we walk amongst the aisles at Albertson’s,*
I buy yogurt and bananas and you a submarine sandwich
–and suddenly I see you
with your eyes gleaming
sparkling with dangerous
mischievous intelligence,
your mouth wanting to chew
on the minds of others,
wanting to swallow our whole civilization.
You swim [...]

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Dreaming of Nasturtiums — or The Red Empress

by Bea Garthcopyright 2008

The garden dreams of nasturtiumsyellow climbing the wallsRed Empress of Indiaand poppies, poppies, poppiesopening up laudanumfor the humming birdswhirring that messagezipping into one’s brainthe sunlightthe green leavesthe cats pouncing on cricketsthe worms cogitating in the moundslifting breast likeas the yellow and green summer squashtrumpet Peter Pans and zucchinisfor us to [...]

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Cherries

by Bea Garthcopyright 2008
I ate up almost allof the black Bing cherriesthis afternoon thinking of youdriving my blue pick up from Portlandto Eugene, eating Royal Annesjust picked from the old fruit farmwhere you are staying ensconcedin a miniature busso clean and white and freshwith its bare tatami mats, feeling open,despite its postage [...]

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The Wind Storms Outside

by Bea Garth
copyright 2008

Your curtains billow
and gleam slightly of gold
as we talk of forests, seas and continents,
the gods having raised their fists
at each of us
and we, like two Odysseus’
finally meet to tell our tales
and laugh at the twists and turns
while we marvel at these gifts
we’ve wrest despite
the monsters’ traps
and treacherous seas.

We [...]

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IF I WERE

by Bea Garthcopyright 2008
If I were meand you were youwhat would we do?Would we laugh and crygive each other our hearts and swear not to die,if I were meand you were you?
Instead we pace and stumblebeing ever so humblenever learning to trust,laughing at our disgust. I hold myself in a [...]

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On Exploring This New Emptiness

by Bea Garthcopyright 2008
Emptiness fills me while life around me buzzes,a new man takes an interest but I hardly want to bother.What shadows am I fighting? What lessons must I learn?I think of you with your long legs draped elegantlyacross the length of the couch,your smile delighted when I would crawl on top of you.I [...]

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Silver

by Bea Garthcopyright 2008
The clock is tickingdeath approachesI breathe in deeplythe universe bathes my heartwhile a dog barks from across the creek.I do battlepersistent and slowas a snaileating the lettuce and even the marigolds,my trail a silver threadreflecting the morning sun.

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ON WHAT IS REQUIRED

by Bea Garth copyright 2008
I wintered far too longthick roots strangled my every movementas I dreamed of Springdespite what seemed all oddswilling myself to un-twine the hidden spells that bound me.
Miraculously, I woke up knowing what finally to do:what majicks to enact, what potions to drink,what edibles to eat, what things to avoid.
Slowly I revive [...]

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Some Days

by Bea Garth, copyright 2008
There are some days the body knowsthat it doesn’t matter what day it is.Whatever it is you are doing is just too much:you can be in the middle of the natural foods storeor shopping for a gift of Rumi’s poems for your first nephew’s weddingor buying lumber when suddenly you remember [...]

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