MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX

Poetic Devices

Ashen like that of corpse Simile

But after the airport’s security check Alliteration

Pale as a late winter’s moon Simile

Felt that old familiar ache Alliteration

But all I said was see you soon Alliteration

Smile and smile and smile Repetition

AN ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM IN A SLUM

Poetic Devices

Far far Repetition

Like rootless weeds Simile

Paper seeming boy Metaphor

Rat’s eyes Metaphor

In tree room, other than this Alliteration

at dawn, civilized dome Alliteration

the world its world Repetition

Narrow street Metaphor

Sealed in with lead a sky Metaphor

Stars of wisdom Metaphor

Far far from rivers Repetition

Ships and Sun Alliteration

Ships and Sun and love Repetition

Cramped holes Metaphor

Endless night Metaphor

Like bottle bits on stones Simile

As big as doom Metaphor

All of their time Alliteration

Space are foggy slums Alliteration

As big as doom Metaphor

That shut upon their lives like catacombs Alliteration

like catacombs Simile

Break O break open till they break open Repetition

And let their tongues Alliteration

 KEEPING QUIET
Poetic Devices

we will count Alliteration

we will all keep Alliteration

not move our arms much Alliteration

without rush without engines Repetition

we would all be Alliteration

Sudden strangeness Alliteration

would not harm whales Alliteration

man gathering salt Symbol

his hurt hands Symbol

would look at his hurt hands Alliteration

wars with gas, wars with fire Repetition

Green wars Symbol

wars with gas, Symbol

wars with fire Symbol

Poetic Devices

would put on clean clothes Alliteration

walk about with their brothers Alliteration

Clean clothes Symbol

In the shade Symbol

what I want Alliteration

Life is what it is about Repetition

I want no truck with death Alliteration

If we were not so single minded Alliteration

earth can teach us personification

 A THING OF BEAUTY
Poetic Devices

Bower quiet Metaphor

and health and quiet breathing Repetition

are we wreathing Alliteration

a flowery band to bind us Alliteration

some shape of beauty Alliteration

Such the sun, the moon Repetition

Such the sun, the moon Alliteration

sprouting a shady boon Alliteration

sprouting a shady boon Alliteration

That for themselves Alliteration

a cooling covert Alliteration

Mighty dead Oxymoron

Endless fountain Hyperbole

 A ROADSIDE STAND
Poetic Devices

The little old house was out with Alliteration

The little old house was out with a little new

Repetition
shed

A roadside stand that too pathetically pled, Alliteration

A roadside stand that too pathetically pled, Personification

The flower of cities Metaphor

with N turned wrong and S turned wrong Repetition

wild berries in wooden quarts Alliteration

golden squash with silver warts Alliteration

Alliteration
Or beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene

You have the money, but if you want to be Repetition

mean

You have the money, but if you want to

Alliteration
be mean

Alliteration
party in power is said to be keeping
 Alliteration
It is in the news that all these pitiful kin

Alliteration
Greedy good doers

beneficent beasts of prey Alliteration

how to sleep they sleep all day Repetition

Sometimes I feel myself I can Repetition

The sadness that lurks near the open Personification

window there

Alliteration
That waits all day in almost open prayer

squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping

Alliteration
car

Alliteration
one did stop, but only to plow up

And another to ask the way Alliteration

ask the way to where it was bound Alliteration

They couldn’t ; they had none, Repetition

No, in country money, the country scale of Repetition

gain,
voice of the country seems to complain Metaphor

I wonder how I should like you to come to me Repetition

to put me gently out of my pain Alliteration

AUNT JENIFER’S TIGERS

Poetic Devices

Bright topaz Metaphor

Fingers Fluttering Alliteration

Ivory needle Metaphor

weight of Uncle’s wedding

Alliteration
band

her terrified hands Synecdoche

her terrified hands Alliteration