Beach Town Summer
The stone bench carved with Celtic knots
waits in the garden
remains empty
as I admire it from my office window
Alongside the deeply rooted fifty plus foot tree
has the appearance of someone posing
right hip swung to one side
gnarled limbs buoyant on ocean air
Small precious butterflies dart among
bright summer foliage
the place my dogs love to play
chase their shadows
as lemons decide when to drop
join others on ground
Even busy birds
who sing, chant and rail for me this June morning
know little of the path
travailed dreams dead and otherwise
that led me here today
my bit of Shangri-La
First published in 1997 by two important journals dealing with childhood sexual abuse, Cynthia Bryant has since been published in over 50 anthologies. She has shared her poetry in venues as diverse as a federal prison, women’s shelters, a continuation high school and neon sign shop in addition to coffee shops, libraries and book stores. Cynthia was the Poetry Coordinator for Alameda County Fair 2004 and 2005. In June 2005, she was appointed the 4th Poet Laureate of Pleasanton, Ca and served until June 2007 and was appointed the 7th Poet Laureate serving 2011-2013. Cynthia’s poetry books Sojourn, Pebbles in the Shoe as well as No Time to Shoot the Poets have recently been accepted in the new Ina Coolbrith Circle library section in Sacramento’s State Library’s Special Collections Reading Room.
The stone bench carved with Celtic knots
waits in the garden
remains empty
as I admire it from my office window
Alongside the deeply rooted fifty plus foot tree
has the appearance of someone posing
right hip swung to one side
gnarled limbs buoyant on ocean air
Small precious butterflies dart among
bright summer foliage
the place my dogs love to play
chase their shadows
as lemons decide when to drop
join others on ground
Even busy birds
who sing, chant and rail for me this June morning
know little of the path
travailed dreams dead and otherwise
that led me here today
my bit of Shangri-La
First published in 1997 by two important journals dealing with childhood sexual abuse, Cynthia Bryant has since been published in over 50 anthologies. She has shared her poetry in venues as diverse as a federal prison, women’s shelters, a continuation high school and neon sign shop in addition to coffee shops, libraries and book stores. Cynthia was the Poetry Coordinator for Alameda County Fair 2004 and 2005. In June 2005, she was appointed the 4th Poet Laureate of Pleasanton, Ca and served until June 2007 and was appointed the 7th Poet Laureate serving 2011-2013. Cynthia’s poetry books Sojourn, Pebbles in the Shoe as well as No Time to Shoot the Poets have recently been accepted in the new Ina Coolbrith Circle library section in Sacramento’s State Library’s Special Collections Reading Room.