https://www.albany.edu/offcourse
 http://offcourse.org
 ISSN 1556-4975

OffCourse Literary Journal

 Published by Ricardo and Isabel Nirenberg since 1998


 

Poems by Claire Scott

A SEASON OF CONTRACTION

body shrinking to under five feet/at this rate I will soon be sleeping in a matchbox
my grandson towers over me although he is only nine/energy shriveling/
naps morning & afternoon/a trip to Trader Joe's out of the question
thank god Safeway delivers frozen dinners like Amy's Thai
Stir Fry that lasts all week/why bother showering
& dressing/shaggy sweats are all that's needed
no point in brushing ten strands of hair
or putting lipstick on crinkled lips
what of surrendering car keys
practicing on a walker
updating my will
winter all year
round

 

Kindness & Casseroles

I brace myself for more kindness & yet another casserole, my refrigerator
groaning with turkey goulash, chicken tetrazzini, pasta pomodoro,
cheese enchiladas, Mexican lasagna, all of which I take with
good grace, smiling & nodding, (looking slightly upward
& to the left, avoiding eye contact) & toss in the trash
at the end of the week. I eat only Cheetos &
Doritos along with an occasional
hunk of cheese that seems
to be turning green.
I drink a bottle
of gin.

But now excuse me
the doorbell's ringing.
I arrange a smile on my face
stumble to the door to find three
wise women bearing freshly baked
apple pie steaming cinnamon & cloves.
I salivate against my will, invite them in for coffee.


Author Claire Scott is an award winning poet who has received multiple Pushcart Prize nominations. Her work has been accepted by the Atlanta Review, Bellevue Literary Review, New Ohio Review, Enizagam and Healing Muse among others. Claire is the author of Waiting to be Called and  Until I Couldn't. She is the co-author of Unfolding in Light: A Sisters' Journey in Photography and Poetry.



Return to Offcourse Index.