List price is $8.99. To purchase copies go to Woodstock Baby:A Novel in Poetry at Amazon or for a signed copy contact Joan at dobbiej@uoregon.edu.

One Long Poem made out of Poems
by Joan Dobbie

All Poems copyright 1988-2013
by Joan Dobbie


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THE LETTER

Elizabeth has moved back to Boston
after 14 years, and I will visit her there

I hope.
What will that mean?

Beth, who sat in the phone booth
beside me

while I made the appointment
for my urine test,

her daughter born 9 months
to the day, after mine.

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THE CHARLES

A city wears its river
like a necklace
my mother says,

for glitter. And I think of this
as I walk alone in late night
along the Esplanade

glorying in all that pink
reflected neon, knowing
she is wrong. No

this,
is beauty. And in this jewelled dark
those giant golden carp (that

boys in daytime
fish for, keep in buckets,
sell to pet stores) open wide

their ghostly mouths
& swallow buildings full
of human life.

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BOSTON GARDEN WITH JOBY & BETH

I say I would like to make love
with one man
from every race
on earth
& have a child
by each one.

Joby says she will never
have children at all,
this planet too crowded already,

but would rather adopt
Black & Native American
babies
& so serve
humanity.

We are sitting in the crisp grass
by the swan boats,
munching sandwiches,
drinking sun.

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ONION SOUP

Joby will never be poor,
hates
poverty.

She will be a rich
& charismatic writer

& so

cooks onion soup
which she says is the soup
of the wealthy

& grand.

We top it with croutons & sharp
cheddar cheese.

We hold our spoons
with pinkies

uplifted

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Don't let anybody tell you different

PREGNANCY IS CATCHING

All summer I stayed
in the cottage with Mitch
& Marlene
who was pregnant.

All summer I studied
the Pink Pregnant Book, rested
my hand on her belly,
breathed

the salt spice of that baby.

That was the summer before
the summer my baby was born.

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List price is $8.99. To purchase copies go to Woodstock Baby:A Novel in Poetry at Amazon or for a signed copy contact Joan at dobbiej@uoregon.edu.