Four Poems by Joan Leotta

 

Ouch!

The sky is blue, intersection of horizon
with ocean where the white sand beach
ends seems close
I remove my sandals
while still treading the grassy walk
and my bare sole tramps down on one
the nemeses of southern lawns,
a  sticker weed.
Ouch!
“Frescolatta,” my Nonna would have said,
to chide me lovingly for removing my
foot protection too early,
stepping ahead unthinking, not watching.
I reach down and carefully
pluck the little guilty little fellow
to preserve him in my journal
as a reminder of Nonna’s voice,
a reminder that even on a beach walk,
careful stepping is best.

Gallivanting—Grandma’s Word

  
In a photo of me at age four,
I’m decked out in silk
“Chinese” lounging pjs
Scowling, arms crossed.
Behind me is a partially eaten
ship-shaped cake. My
scowl reveals I’ve just been
told I cannot “go gallivanting”
with grandma on her cruise
“Around the world,”
the Mediterranean to be exact.
She and I often went on jaunts’
jiggling in streetcar seats
to shop or lunch downtown.
We travelled together to
And neighbourhoods far from mine.
Hadn’t we gone to New York
together with her ladies club
where she bought me the PJs?
I loved to sleep at her house, so
why couldn’t I go with her to
sleep on a ship, see the Pyramids,
toss a coin and dip my toes
in the Trevi fountain?
My staying behind seemed unfair.
Years later, I chose my schools
for programs allowing me on study abroad
scholarships making the most
of my family’s meagre finances.
I shared Africa and Europe
by letter with Grandma
who by then could no longer travel.
Recently, my daughter and I
rode camels at the pyramids
and I joined the picture proof
our ride to the photo of her on
my camel’s elder relative.
“You have the travel bug,”
people often say to me,
but I decline to speak of my love
of travel in terms of insects.
I reply, I enjoy “ gallivanting.”
Why not, it’s in my genes.

Duet 

 

As I tip tapped on my computer,  

a tip tap on the window  

called me to turn around. 

 

A grey bird, soft,  

downy feathers 

crested head of a jay 

long tailfeathers showing blue 

mimicked my endeavours 

with her own tip tap 

as she tried to extract whatever  

bit of edible was stuck 

in the siding by my upstairs 

office window ledge. 

 

As I’d sensed her, so she 

sensed me, heard me say, 

“Hello, pretty bird, welcome! 

Shy, she flitted off  

before I could properly  

introduce myself. 

Tomorrow I’ll put some 

birdseed on the ledge 

to see if she returns 

to play tip tap tip tap 

our joint percussion melody. 

 

 

 

Spotting an Owl in Daytime 

 

 

Perched in the midst of snow-covered 

fir branches, peering out onto the road 

this cream-colored owl, spotted brown 

feathers puffed, plumped for warmth,  

peered down upon the busy road 

as a monarch watching his subjects 

file along in steel, rubber wheeled carriages. 

tolling by at fifty miles per hour. 

 

I wondered what the owl observed. 

Then he blinked.  

My eyes locked on to him 

as I saw his great 

eyes move, his wings shift  

forward as if he were blessing me 

or perhaps readying to fly. 

 

I decided on blessing-- 

After all, how  

often in a city setting 

is one able to 

commune with an owl,  

especially in daytime.

 

 

Note: I looked up the owl when I got home and indeed there are some species who live or pass through this area who are diurnal (daytime) hunters.

 

Joan Leotta plays with words on page and stage. She’s been published as essayist, poet, short story writer, novelist, and a two-time nominee for Pushcart and Best of the Net. Her poetry, essays, and stories have appeared in many journals in the US and abroad, including Lothlorien, One Art Gargoyle, Verse Virtual, and Storyteller Poetry. She performs folktale programs most often highlighting her heritage, food, family, and strong women, and offers the one-woman show, “Meet Louisa May Alcott, Author, Nurse and Writer” contact joanleotta@gmail.com

Joan Leotta
Author, Story Performer
“Encouraging words through Pen and Performance”

Folk, Fairy, and Personal Tales of friendship, kindness, food, family, and strong women.

Now also Presenting Author visits by Louisa May Alcott

As writer, Nominated for Pushcart, Best of Net, Best of Micro fiction, Western Peacemaker Award 

Awardee in Presswomen, Robert Frost, Silver Arts, Dancing Poetry

"Feathers on Stone" poetry chapbook available from me and at

https://mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/feathers-on-stone-joan-leotta/