FEATURED POET: AILEEN CASSINETTO

Three Poems by Aileen Cassinetto

From “The Enormous River Encircling the World”

In ocean-speak,

learn the art of camouflage.

That sound you hear—ambient noise, they call it—is really

Okeanos’ dragon tail swirling, whorl-like, with “all

the might of the ocean stream.”

Best take your cue from the Nautilus (pelagic and unchanged),

or the Sailfin sculpin (eye-banded and demersal),

or the Leafy seadragon (which, in captivity, is unbreedable).

But beware

the Angelfish and the Butterfly splitfin.

Listen:

Regard with wonder the Weedy seadragon on their rocky reefs,

and the Longsnout seahorse on coral reefs.

Also Janss’ pipefish and his unparalleled brood pouch,

and Shaw’s cowfish: carapace-cased, rough-water warriors.

Discover the blue-emitting Brittle star, and the Sunfish in its wholeness,

the Sea pink coastliners and the lovely Seaside fleabane, also pink.

There's the beach sagebrush—silver and salt-washed.

Above all,

find the Dwarf cuttlefish, masters of camouflage—

stumpy-spined Indo-Pacific survivors,

they’ve actually learned to “walk.”

Best be like a cuttle, ambling flamboyantly…

dangerously.

The Boatman’s Book Spine Poetry II

—from Our Own Voice’s Bookshelf (2001-2016)

Firefly

Behind the Blue Canvas

The Invisible Palace

Eye of the Fish

Novemberly

Marginal Bliss

25 Chickens and a Pig for the Bride

One Tribe

Coming Full Circle

Names Above Houses

Field of Mirrors

Gravities of Center

Into the Country of Standing Men

Not Home, But Here

Love Gathers All

The Gods We Worship Live Next Door

Name of a Rose

That

I should

find you here

pale

and creamy,

and orange-tinged

at

day's end.

I only ever

knew

you in

passing. Just Joey,

or

notions of

you. In Corralitos,

you

are breathtaking.

A rose, fragrant

and

constant, with

a name, measured

and

derived. Now

I pick you,

as

one does

an offering. Now

I

leave you,

as one does

when appeased.

*****

Aileen Cassinetto is a San Francisco-based foreign service national, almost-poet-laureate of San Mateo County, and publisher of Paloma Press. Follow her on Instagram! She’s also released a poetry collection, traje de boda (Meritage Press) and three poetry chaps through Moria Books’ Locofo series.