A Talking-To
The citronella is in bloom again, pale
pink flowers the hummingbirds prefer
to the sugar-water feeder. Some smaller
thing, a wasp or bee, is at them
now, mumbling at the petals.
As if paralyzed I sit and look
at silhouettes. Plants, crows,
bugs, gardeners, my neighbor
walking his special-needs German
shepherd back and forth below.
Mind full of memories.
Shake them off, like a fearful
dog who forgets himself, runs
into a stream and out again,
droplets vibrating from his fur.
*
Penelope Moffet lives in Southern California, where she writes, draws and strives to keep her 18-year-old cat happy. Her most recent chapbook is Cauldron of Hisses (Arroyo Seco Press, 2022). She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize by ONE ART and has been awarded residencies at Dorland Mountain Arts, The Mesa Refuge, the Helen R. Whiteley Center and Alderworks Alaska. Her poems appear in Eclectica, Calyx, New Verse News and other journals. A full-length collection of her poetry will be published by Sheila-Na-Gig Editions in 2026
From The Archives: Published on This Day
- Two Poems by Alicia Rebecca Myers (2024)
- Felt Flowers by Kathy Kremins (2023)
- One Poem by Lauren Camp (2021)
- Two Poems by Kenneth Pobo (2020)
I am looking forward to the book!
Thanks, Donna! I am looking forward to the book, too!!
Love the poem, especially the mumbling and the ending. I’ve been coming up against some memories lately that need absorbing, some that need to be shaken off.
Thank you, Betsy! Memories – we need them, but they can be overwhelming.
Absolutely…it’s funny how selective memory can be.