Joan McNerney- Three Poems

Shhhhh...

There is a

witch living

on the corner

where the four

roads meet.

Her eye is

evil, her

nose crooked.

She lays down

the tarot

pattern

with wrinkled

hands.

Asks "do you wish

tea of wormwood

or henbane?"

She will enchant

your mind now

into fields of

wild roses.

I planted my garden

on the wrong side

of moon forgetting

tides of ocean

lunar wax wane

only madness

was cultivated

there underground

tubular roots

corpulent veins

flowers called

despair gave off

a single fruit...

I ate it

my laughter

becoming harsh

my eyes grew

oblique.

Methuselah Speaks

Living in shadows I scarcely stir.

Each motion brings pain with fear

of falling, breaking brittle bones

or bruising my spider web skin. 

I see so little.  Sunlight blinds my

rheumy eyes.  Night dims my world

leaving just vague outlines.

Food is stale, bitter.  Thirst savage. 

No liquids quench me.  My bodily

functions often fail befouling me.

All these years weigh down my soul.

Hearing faded, everything in whispers.

My breath is raspy, without strength.

My mind dull with defeat.  I count only

my losses and remember nothing

but the dead.  My memory is pain.

I cannot celebrate births. My great

grandchildren died so long ago. 

Why must I  always wait here?

God, have you forgotten me?

Joan McNerney’s poetry has been included in numerous literary magazines such as Seven Circle Press, Dinner with the Muse, Camel Saloon, Blueline, Poppy Road Review, Spectrum, three Bright Hills Press Anthologies and several Kind of A Hurricane Publications.  She has been nominated three times for Best of the Net.