2 Poems by Gaiyle J. Connolly

Ch'an Thoughts

Scholar Ch'an
sits at his uncluttered desk
late in the evening.
He contemplates the Classics
while a cool breeze fans him.

The pale pigment of the moon
outlines mountains and rivers
and washes over his scrolls and pens;
his written thoughts become
delicate watercolours.

He questions the nature of life, so long
that the peonies
in his antique vase
shed their petals
while he sighs.

A butterfly alights
and Master Ch'an
not quite awakened from study-induced sleep
sees its reflection
on the desk of polished wood.

He questions,
Am I Ch'an, the Scholar
dreaming I am a butterfly
or is that butterfly dreaming
it is Scholar Ch'an?

Ch'an extinguishes his lamp;
he's left in semi-darkness.
The butterfly flits away.
The mystery remains,
unsolved.
                                  Serengeti Press, 2015
                                   (author owns all rights)

Dilemma

along the beach I saw you
wearing tattered trousers
you lugged a pail almost half your size

you did it happily
approached politely'
to try to
make a sale

were you sent out by your family
because you were cute
and could earn more money
 than they could beg

kids your age back home
play with small pails
in safe sandboxes
of cheery kindergarten rooms

do I help you
or exploit you
if I buy


Bionote

Gaiyle J. Connolly, from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has numerous publications in local and international periodicals and journals, some of them prize-winning. Her poetry collection, "Lifelines", which she also illustrated, was published by Serengeti Press in 2015. Her readership includes Canada,The United States, Mexico and India. She is currently President of the Tower Poetry Society in Hamilton.