Interview with Jane Hirshfield

This week I am sharing words of wisdom from poets who are appearing in “The Collective Trauma Summit – A Ten-Day Online Event to Explore Methods for Working with Unresolved and Hidden Trauma in Individuals, Communities and Society.”  (September 22-October 1, 2020)...

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Pebbles from Moonstone Beach

I love to search the shore, Select smooth stones that shimmer Under the liquid shine of the sea. Turquoise, coral, amber and onyx. Each one unique, Shaped by the wind and waves, Nestled next to seaweed In swaths of texture and color That rival a pointillist painting....

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Oleander Ladies

Oleander Ladies The hardy oleander bush Flourishes along highways Oblivious to the exhaust Of passing automobiles Vibrantly hued flowers Bend on graceful stalks Like the long-limbed ladies That stroll along Union Avenue They glance enticingly At passing customers Who...

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Kit Fox

The following two poems I have submitted to CSUB's spring publication featuring poems on the theme of California's flora and fauna. I chose the kit fox and the oleander. Kit Fox It flickers across the field Swiftly moving As if its feet don't even touch the ground...

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Coffee Cafe Customers: The Retired Paratrooper

He sits sipping thick mushroom soup Barrel-chested with stocky legs In shorts with socks and sandals His bald pate like a shiny egg With compact stature From leaping out of planes Carrying a parachute on his back Invading Granada Attacking in Iraq “There's nothing...

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Coffee Cafe Customers: The Little Girl

She stretches and wiggles Clinging to her mother's knee Gaping at the saucer-sized cookies In the refrigerator case Her eyes are a-gog Suddenly she spies my cookie And, quick as a flash, She prances over and takes a bite Smiling at me A total stranger But keeper of...

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