Wash Day written ‘In Synergy’ with “After the Ecstasy” by Caryn Gilbert
I hang my bath cloth to dry
With a bright red clothespin.
The sweat may be washed away
From my fleshly encounter
But rainbows of light remain
That become my dance partners,
Holding me tightly
Just as I was held last night
In a loving, lusting embrace.
Birdhouse written ‘In Synergy’ with “December 30, The Prior” by Jane Szabo
My childhood playhouse
That occupied my spare time
Now lives in a different home
Waiting for new playmates
To discover its beauty
And hear its stories
No children live here?
Then it’s yours, bird
A new year is upon us
Out with the old, in with the new
Happy nesting!
Pamela Shea, 9th Poet Laureate of Sunland-Tujunga (2017-2020), is inspired by family, nature, triumph, and strife. Pam is retired from work in the medical and fitness fields and continues to be involved in community service. She enjoys “taking poetry to the people” through civic events, open mic readings, and workshops. Her work has been published in multiple collections, including Altadena Poetry Review/Altadena Literary Review, California Quarterly, Scenes of Southern California: A Directory of SoCal Poets by Four Feathers Press, The Night by 1-2-3 Press, Doctor Poets & Other Healers, Covid in Their Own Words by Golden Foothills Press; We Are Here, Village Poets Anthology by Moonrise Press, and multiple Spectrum chapbooks. She is indebted to her family and friends for their love, support, and inspiration.
