the test
1974
infant son
malformed heart
callous docs
severe surgeries
wailing baby
life, a hard cushion
she was pushed
to notice the good—
so many gratitudes!
hot tub’s warm embrace
hound’s comforting nudge
her little boy’s hug
noting grace became
her way—she learned to
heed life’s finespun
palette—delicate
melding from one
soft hue to another
2022 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.
Fasciation
(not fascination)
when branches abrade
bark into cambium
twine imperfectly
meld and grow
into one—
the urge for union is
inscribed on the forest
just so
cats cozy together
dogs sneak onto our bed—
in 10,000 ways
we long for the other
all seeking to merge
in home ground
2022 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.
predicament of being alive
note to self
it isn’t easy on planet earth.
losses carve our hearts
staggering low-back pain
your family business fails
a parent’s sudden demise
empty craters of loss
a monarch flickers by
the mockingbird’s serenade
a dog’s cold nose in greeting
jasmine scents the air
chocolate melts on your tongue
the scent of a baby’s neck
enough joy to keep us here. just.
the predicament is this:
how to welcome paradox:
are you vast enough?
open? willing?
can your heart spread wide?
that is what is asked for
the courage to breathe it all
thank you to Margaret Rooney for the title phrase
2022 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—they may never turn into anything more or they might flower.
his shadow on the couch
If I look slantwise
there he is, still poised,
my sleek Saluki,
paws crossed
elegant, aloof
unfailingly pleasant…
except for cats
squirrels, deer, and
jack rabbit those
he yearned to chase
and, I believe, to kill
yet, there was nothing
brutal about him
pure instinct
clean, direct,
innocent of motive
even matter of fact
at the beach free
to run amidst brethren
he always displayed
good manners
how did he know at
one hundred feet
the Jack Russell,
the size of a cat,
was not prey?
but he knew dog!
oh, the lift in his gait
those chic long legs
the length of his stride
my writing accomplice
he followed me into
my office took to his bed
yawned and snuggled in
if I look slantwise
his shadow curls there, too
2022 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—they may never turn into anything more or they might flower.
My novel, Unleashed, was just published and is available in paperback and Kindle versions. Below the cover image is the synopsis, and then the Amazon links here and around the world. The young girl, Rowan, is awakening.
the heart of the matter 