There was a time the thought of many gods
pleased me more than did the thought of one.
In foam flakes curled over green Peconic waves
I sought Her eyes, and above the curved horizon,
if I held my eyes just so, an outline of hip
and thigh straddled the bulwark of shoreline rocks.
And when in a back-creek quiet, I stopped to dip
my hand, I heard His voice in soft sucks
of water lapping at mussels and reeds. Not
one doubt who was thunder. In St. Paul's,
kneeling on the worn-down altar step
where a god appears in wine and wafer, all
I'm sure I heard was a gliss of girlish laughter
thrilling the lillies on the Easter altar.

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Joyce Nower's latest book of poetry, published by Avranches Press, is The Qin Warriors and Other Poems (2003). Earlier books include Column of Silence (Avranches Press, 2001) and Year of the Fires (CWSS, 1983). Recent poetry has appeared in Raven Chronicles, Earth's Daughters, The American Poetry Journal, Terminus, Slant, Visions-International, Crescent Moon Journal, Andwerve, and Worm #38. Currently Joyce writes a column of poetry criticism called "Intersections" for The Alsop Review.
Website: http://joycenower.com
E-mail: jnower at mail.sdsu.edu
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kaleidowhirl  |  spring 2007