Two Poems by Jimmy Pappas

Clichés

I love the cliché of you
                the new mown hay of you
                the puddled rainy day of you
                the Dover to Calais of you
                the herbal sachet of you
                the cabernet of you
                the fresh vegetable sauté of you
                the private soirée of you
                the mystery play of you
                the modern ballet of you
                the special of the day of you
                the scenic railway of you
                the divided highway of you
                the Chesapeake Bay of you
                the crochet of you
                the casual sashay of you
                the roll in the hay of you
                the let's go out and play of you
                the take me away of you
                the sexy cabaret of you
                the disarray of you
                the café-au-lait of you
                the négligée of you
                the déjeuner of you
                the don't delay of you
                the I'm here to stay of you

Claws

The natural hand shape for humans is the oval.
We do not straighten our fingers out or clench them.

Instead we make an unfinished circle, perhaps
a sign of our imperfections. A dead bird

clenches its feet. When the bird is alive, the clench
allows it to sleep on a branch without falling.

I have watched an osprey catch a fish
over a swamp. How surprised that poor creature

must have felt when a claw dropped from the sky
to pierce its back. Suddenly, it was flying in the air.

When I die, let my hand not be clenched clinging
to life, but oval shaped and flying with wonder.