by Joanna White
*to whisper *canter the mare across the field *balance
one thin dime *swim to the raft at the brink
of the harbor *float in salt and sea *drink from a glass *play
the flute *speak in French *eat *make me laugh *find the key
to the window of my eye *roll down the hill *open
the door *close the wound *leap across
the tail of the stream *solve the puzzle *twist and bend and swing
*trace a silhouette *rhyme the words *smile *ride
a backwards bicycle * inch your way to the front of the crowd *coax
a tone *dial a phone *count the poems *tie
a knot *untie your shoe *drink *hum *go *come *find the answer
in a drawer *watch the kitten chase the fly *catch a ball
and throw it back *act *spell my name *win *fail *recall my face *hear
the reason *fix a mistake *cut with scissors *draw
me near *kiss *sing a tune *wonder *ponder *exit
the maze *glue it when it comes undone *stop *cross
the bridge when it comes to you *speak your mind *ride
a bird *learn *turn *release the fear from its mooring?
Joanna White has works published in The Examined Life Journal, Ars Medica, Healing Muse, Abaton, American Journal of Nursing, The Intima, Earth’s Daughters, Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, MacGuffin, Cape Rock, Chariton Review, Pulse, Temenos, Measure, Naugatuck River Review as a finalist in their poetry contest, and in the Poetry and Medicine column of JAMA. She gives poetry readings at conferences (including a full-session reading at the 2016 Examined Life Conference at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine) and performs and records as an orchestral and chamber music flutist.