March 2021
Joan Leotta
joanleotta@gmail.com
joanleotta@gmail.com
Bio Note: I am a writer and story performer who spends a lot of March curled up on the couch reading.
When the days turn warm, I scurry to the ocean to look for shells or pick daffodils from my garden.
March: The Season of the Big Dog Wind
Joe called it the big dog wind
the one that chases you down
as you walk along
Jumping on you when you
least expect it
Joe called it the big dog wind
That sudden blast of air from the sky
strong enough push you down
on the sidewalk
Forcing the breath out of you
Panting over you with
Breath of the mountains
He is strong beyond
What he realizes
His howl making it hard to walk
Hard even to stand up straight
Joe called it a big dog wind.
Today, recalling that,
when I felt wind bearing down on me,
I cried out "Heel, wind, heel!"
Along the path, as I walked by
bare birch branches rattled
together in a laughing response
to my exhortation of the wind.
Wind himself seemed to take
no heed of me, although I thought
I heard a laugh within the howl,
as he continued on his way.
©2021 Joan Leotta
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It is very important. -JL