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lois wilson

Lois Wilson was born in Kobe, Japan, where her parents were missionaries. Since coming to the U.S. as a teenager, she has lived and travelled in both the east and west coasts of Canada and the U.S. and finally settled in St. Augustine, Florida, to be near her sons and their families. It is her dream to go back to Italy one day to live and write. Her books of poetry include Suicidal Lizard, Moon, Sustenance, White Space, and I am a Cockroach, all of which can be ordered through loiswilsonpoems@yahoo.com. The series of short poems published here is from her new collection, Knots.

from Knots
------------------------------- there are so many shades of green on this scrap of grass where I sit studying the gnats the single bee and more green ------------------------- the zen returned when I dropped the weights from my heart the desperate wanderings of my mind and noticed only the scrap of sea-tossed wood ------------------------------- I would rather turn aside and stare at the bottle of ketchup on that greasy table with the burned out, spit dampened cigarette butt lying against the flamingo decorated ashtray while the broken bottle drips beer dregs onto the dirt floor than your face. --------------------------------------- I have seen how brown the water in the sink with bits of tomato floating on top and it seemed to reflect my empty heart I have seen when the night shuts in after I turn the key in the lock how silent the house how empty my bed even the windchimes can't move I blow out the single candle (o hopeful scent of cedar!) the flame flickers a last desperate breath and my tear finally finally falls ------------------------ solitude is a masturbation of the soul sometimes necessary sometimes satisfying but not in the best way ------------------------- a single drop falls onto the cloth a quiet red this is how my joy falls ------------------ there are moments when those knots are so tight I struggle to loose them with a passion that surprises me I think I can't breathe there are no windows in my captivity I am not set free by a hero I let go the fight my heart calms I see the beautiful intricate roots of the tree from underground