Welcome to National Poetry Month and Gyroscope Review’s month-long celebration of poets – and their diverse Writing Assistants. Enjoy the audio/video works by previous Gyroscope Review poets, and be sure to check out the Author and fun Writing Assistant Bio at the end of each NPM poet post. Don’t forget to tag the poet on Social Media and let them know you enjoyed their work!
Lesson in Aging
Lesson in Aging I spread their colors across the counter—tulips in hues of lemon, lilac, plum and persimmon— then scoop them up, slake their thirst, let them chatter to each other. They tilt their heads, laugh from their bellies, begin to open themselves to life. As they age, they widen their scope, become more generous, acquire a graceful drape. Their edges begin to darken, turn inward until, one by one, each petal loosens its hold, gives in to gravity, leaving—strewn across my counter— curled flakes of color , still laughing. First published in Gyroscope Review in the Fall 2021 issue.
Putting My Mind Down for a Nap
Putting My Mind Down for a Nap With a gentle touch I take my mind by the hand stroke its frayed surface coax it to breathe from its belly hoping I can calm its quivering. I soften my voice to speak to it tell my mind I respect its thoughtful analysis its ability to process information its initiative—even its propensity to go its own way— but I need it to disappear for a while. So I lay it with care on a padded surface cover it with a queen-size down comforter and tuck it in all the while humming a few bars of James Taylor’s You Can Close Your Eyes. Murmuring reassurances that I will soon return to rescue it I turn from my mind to notice the newly open space within and watch as it fills with light. Published Spring 2021 by Persimmon Tree in Short Takes: Lights at the End of the Tunnel.
WRITING ASSISTANT BIO
Writing Assistant BIO in poem form- see alternate bio below Not Just Any Tea Mug with appreciation to Ceramica Mara Like the others it’s always waiting at morning’s first intake of breath, inviting my hands to the sturdy comfort of its thick handle— a vessel empty of all but anticipation, soon to be filled with warm aromatics to scent the hours with bergamot. Unlike the others this one is covered in carved and painted images that waken imagination, faces and figures that bring to life stories that flow over its surface, open up possibilities, suggest who or what I could be that day. I could be the woman whose face tilts upward to welcome each beckoning moment. I could be the dove surrounding that face, leading her with wind-swept wings into virgin skies, or perhaps that child-like face whose fears are enfolded in the safety of the woman’s hair. I could be those diamond-shaped stars that shimmer at the ends of her long locks, lending their light and effervescence to the day. And maybe this morning I will be the serene moon that hovers with a watchful stillness, harbinger of the coming calm of evening. –Melissa Huff Note: This poem won first place in an Illinois State Poetry Society contest in the category of: “Any small item used daily.” Alternate Writing Assistant Bio: Crafted with love in Mexico, purchased with delight in the mountains of Colorado, I currently fulfill my calling in Illinois, where my evocative and ethereal images inspire a poet to let her own imagination run as freely as mine.
Don’t forget to read the Spring 2024 Issue of Gyroscope Review.
NPM 2024 Poets
April 1 – Cal Freeman
April 2 – Susanna Lang
April 3 – Marion Brown
April 4 – Melissa Huff