Three Poems
by LaVern Spencer McCarthy
“Conversation”
A conversation has begun
where woods comprise a scene.
The leaves are talking to the wind
in syllables of green.
The gossip flows from twig to twig
and by the garden wall
I hear the burly oak relate
the wildest tale of all.
Why should I listen to the field
for what the grass might say,
when leafy tongues already tell
the story of the day?
“Black Cat”
Someday I want to be a black cat—
just once.
I want to strut down the middle of the street,
make tires screech in superstition.
I want to see my teeth mirrored
in a raven’s eye.
I want to howl on the back fence
for my lady love,
wriggle through spaces whisker-wide,
then purr my sleepy self
into a daze.
I want to slink and creep.
I want to peer at ladies having tea
and disappear when they notice me.
I want to doze in a garden,
underneath tomato vines in summer,
not moving when dogs next door
become incensed.
Someday I want to be a black cat—
just once.
“An Old Man’s Wallet”
His wallet holds the scraps of yesterday
with faded photos dearest to his heart;
A raffle ticket, notice of a play
attended when his daughter had a part;
A stub from some wild party in the rain
at college when he went where laughter led;
A tiny rosebud wrapped in cellophane
from his true love’s bouquet when they were wed;
A snip of ribbon done in earthy tones
from some dead soldier’s grave across the sea;
Such pieces of his life are all he owns,
each remnant bringing back a memory.
These treasures, and a letter from a friend
will hold his world together till the end.
LaVern Spencer McCarthy, a native of Gilmer, Texas, has published five books of poetry and four books of short stories, Letters From My Heart, Dream Shadows, My Parrot Loves Me, Images Of Life, Porch Swing Rhyme, Soul Shadows, Volumes One and Two, Tales Of The Doomed, and Unhallowed Musings. Her poems have been published in Visions International, Poetry Society of Texas Book of The Year, Open Skies Quarterly, National Federation of State Poetry Society’s Encore, Austin Poetry Society’s Austin’s Best Poets, A Texas Garden of Verses as well as numerous state anthologies and newspaper columns.
She is a life member of Poetry Society of Texas. She is also a member of Poets’ Roundtable Of Arkansas, Austin Poetry Society and Poetry Society of Oklahoma.
She has won over five-hundred state awards and forty-one national awards for her poetry.
LaVern lives outside of Blair, Oklahoma, with her son and several spoiled cats.
