‘A Hardcover Book’ and Other Poetry by Carol Smallwood

A Hardcover Book

Carrying a hardcover book instead of a small electronic tool
I get polite, benevolent smiles seemingly reserved for the old;
people ask, “How old’s your Bible?” as if following some rule.

I’m asked it so often I’m disappointed if not asked—you’ll
find it easy to believe it could be true in any size household—
carrying a hardcover book instead of a small electronic tool

even admitting the chances low of it happening when polled.
Please assume I’m still thinking straight, am OK, all told;
people ask, “How old’s your Bible?” as if following some rule

they learned most likely long ago quite young in grade school
and became very comfortable, complacent, following the fold.
Carrying a hardcover book instead of a small electronic tool

is not quite correct and some may frown, see you the fool
quite the dinosaur, out of touch and even speckled with mold:
people ask, “How old’s your Bible?” as if following some rule

that one should flow with the crowd—not intending to be cruel.
But I’ll continue to read instead of text and not be controlled:
carrying a hardcover book instead of a small electronic tool
people ask, “How old’s your Bible?” as if following some rule.

Dog Days Triptych

Ever wonder what the Dog Days of Summer are about?
The ancient Greeks needed to explain illness, storms,
fever, high temperature, war, disasters like drought.
Ever wonder what the Dog Days of Summer are about?
They are named for (Sirius) Dog Star, brightest no doubt
in the Canis Major constellation—brightness not the norm.
Ever wonder what the Dog Days of Summer are about?
The ancient Greeks needed to explain illness, storms.

I thought they were when dogs slept because it was so hot
and read it was translated into English about 500 years ago
covering July 3 to August 11, dates I was never taught:
I thought they were when dogs slept because it was so hot.
Grandmother often said, ”Shake the yellow dog” I thought
to make one get rid of being lazy, stop going with the flow.
I thought dog days were dogs sleeping because it was so hot
and read it was translated into English about 500 years ago.

The constellation appears in Homer’s The Iliad as the star
brightest at night being connected with suffering, disaster
named Orion’s Dog: an evil visible point in the sky afar.
The constellation appears in Homer’s The Iliad as the star
Sirius raising late in the dark liquid sky—a tale without par,
a classic for years and years of many a good school master.
The constellation appears in Homer’s The Iliad, as the star
brightest at night being connected with suffering, disaster.

Carol Smallwood’s over four dozen books include Women on Poetry: Writing, Revising, Publishing and Teaching, on Poets & Writers Magazine list of Best Books for Writers. Water, Earth, Air, Fire, and Picket Fences is a 2014 collection from Lamar University Press; Divining the Prime Meridian, is forthcoming from WordTech Editions. She has appeared in such journals as: Drunken Boat; The Writer’s Chronicle; The Main Street Rag; Jelly Bucket; English Journal.Carol has founded, supports humane societies.

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