Colleen O'Neill, her poems in our anthology, Ten Years Writing Together

 

Colleen sits between Adrien Helm at her left and Judith Janoo at her right, listening to Pete Blose.

Shape Shifter

 

This evening

you are the cricket song.

Most times you are the River

tumbling twisting 

joyously unique and flowing north

you sweep us along

I had to be 

out of town dear Camy

so I smile with crickets song

 

 

Slip on Down

 

slip on down to New Orleans town

where the sweepers sweep

and the willows weep for the sweet 

sweet scent of all-knowing magnolias’

blossom birth of the Lotus Child

with the secret smile granting

one more brand new day

for us

to laugh 

 

 

for Molly

 

My dear eldest sister

I don’t know where I am

let alone where you may be...

on the beach where we danced in the waves

and walked in the woods 

you giggled uncontrollably covering your eyes

when a nudie passed us on the path

we skipped on the shoreline by the towering bluff 

and laughed till our sides ached

awkward we were, and it was lovely...

 

Share the joy all you who know where you are

share the joy 

and offer love

in any way at any time in any place 

after all is after all   what does it matter?

endlessly it flows through every broken heart

 

 

Across the canvas of my life

  

Blue

and white in the baking heat

I have a rainbow!

It spills across the canvas 

of my life

full of light and color 

and rambunctious children

a tear trembles at the joy of it...

and falls

fading in the distance of time I barely touch it...

Smile and wave 

the artist (once wild with inspiration)

must have tired

 

 

 

for the sound not heard

 

38 years

she listened.

listened    listened wholly

for the sound not heard

below our range

the dull, flat impact    the quaking all cells resonate together 

of all sentient beings and earth

through the roots, the stones sand and boulders

sweeping across the savannah like wind

to rise through the soles of our feet,

the One Body in unison

created to perceive

this sound...

the language of elephants