To Whom It May Concern
my humor
my perspective
on life
is my armor
my superpower
the core of who I am
my comfort
with solitude
is my kryptonite
the chink in my armor
the way in which
I disguise my
vulnerability
I would challenge
myself to be more like
my hero Maya Angelou
to stay true
to myself
to reach out more
to not be afraid
to explore
connections
to pour
my humor
My perspective
myself
into those
around
me
Coffeehouse Haiku
Coffeehouse poet
penning airy haiku as your
over-priced and aromatic
Americano cools
Economical:
What price is placed on joy?
My coin purse sighs
Is it the espresso making you edgy
as you swelter, ceiling fan ineffective
this infinitesimal pause to reflect on
what’s left and on what amount of
beauty can still be found
at any price?
Rich
Earthy
Unforgotten
a lingering focus of one aficionado for whom
time ricochets in a blur of unsated tongues
and unfinished sentences
It’s a dilemma, these coffeehouse musings
you scribble in a tattered notebook that
has seen better days and you suspect
the same might be said for you:
To be a woman
The scent of memory
Indelible love
And that alone feels like
enough reflection for one day
I Have Grown Accustomed
I have grown accustomed
to a solitude of silence
I have grown accustomed
to the scattered petals
of regret
I have grown accustomed to blues noir
and a powerful urgency / a netherworld
in which your face is as clear as day
I forgive you for all that was designed
to break me / I forgive you for the caricature
of concern and convention
I’ve got a miniature bottle of gin
in my waistband
I’ve got the secular hymn with the lyrics
altered to suit me / I’ve got the narrow streets
with a pawn shop positioned on each corner
I have grown accustomed
to going my own way
Connie Johnson is a Los Angeles, CA-based Pushcart Prize nominee whose poetry has appeared in San Pedro River Review, Syncopation Literary Journal, Cholla Needles, Hudson Valley Writers Guild, Exit 13, Haight-Ashbury Literary Journal, Sport Literate and Writing in a Woman’s Voice. Everything is Distant Now (Blue Horse Press), her debut poetry collection, is available on Amazon; In a Place of Dreams, her digital album/chapbook, can be found at www.jerryjazzmusician.com
