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(For your Saturday morning enjoyment, a short series of six poems penned at various times in the poet’s career upon the theme of The Wizard of Oz)

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Recorded Reading (1:39): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/24h7cpp39296rjump8kan/From-Threat-to-Hope.wav?rlkey=ciq1gr1666bezlj0q7b4s9t40&dl=0

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From Threat to Hope

When Dorothy returned the Wizard from
And, upon waking, found herself at home —
A little cabin in a dusty field
Must e’er be furiously worked to yield
What must by employees and family
Consumed in order to aught healthy be —

And looked upon it all with opened eyes,
Much value there to find, to her surprise,
As travelers returned so often do
Find value there apparently renew
Needs but lack opportunity to view
And then to view again, to make them wise! —

There is a part of this equation which
We tend to overlook: The neighbor witch
Whom overcome could not be formerly
And yet of whom small mention now we see —
What is it which hath caused the plot to switch
From threat to hope so harmoniously?

Only, perhaps — just maybe — might it be
That it was not only young Dorothy
Whom by unexpected emergency
Her eyes and loving heart thus opened hath —
That others, too, reconsidered the path
By which through here below had cut their swathe?

Thinking, of her might they some more have been
Appreciative than they were; have seen
More clearly to them how she precious be
For nothing but her presence privily;
That lovely charm a living ornament
To grace their lives, and nothing more, was meant?

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This poet is physically disabled. Public housing being insufficient to her medical and creative needs, she is presently living, in order to continue working, in her minivan, publishing all of her works using one thumb on the touch screen of her smartphone, surviving at an income of a fraction of her nation’s poverty level. She would treasure any donation you might care to offer ~ http://www.UgiftABLE.com ● #72D-31S.

Please be aware that it takes several days for the poet to be notified of contributions. International patrons please contact the poet via email or post a comment for the necessary numbers.

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