April Poetry: Poettown

In recognition of Poetry Month, and to celebrate our treasure trove of Orcas Island poets, Orcas Issues is pleased and honored to offer daily poetry during April.

POETTOWN

by JoEllen Moldoff

At the intersection
of sense and nonsense,
a metropolis of metaphors,
a town composed
of A-frames through Z-frames,
made of boards for bards,
peopled exclusively by poets

reclining in hammocks
or sipping wine in pavilions
by the stream or
mending stone walls in the woods.

Poets sitting silently
at their desks, listening
for their songs
in the rustle of trees,
in the splash of waves
against breakers,
in the chatter of birds,

scribbling
their whimpers,
their roars,
singing
their rainbows
to the beat
of their runcible* spoons.

* runcible spoon: A three-pronged fork, such as a pickle fork, curved like a spoon and having a cutting edge. [Coined by Edward Lear, perhaps alteration of rounceval, big woman, large pea, wart, monster, huge, from Rounceveaux (Roncesvalles), site where giant bones were found.]