Roadrunner

 

Photo © Jennifer Wagner

Last night I dreamt about scorpions,

my ex,

a diner,

and a dingy motel.

 

And being on the run.

 

I sipped mediocre coffee,

slipped into my best jeans, tight as a tattoo,

bundled up my few belongings

and hit the road—

 

blue-legged and quick.

 

There I was cooing,

belly full of scorpion meat,

picking up the sun, shotgun,

for a lift,

 

—the pair of us,

wily coyotes with a (sometimes) bad rap, but

thriving,

like O’Keeffe,

escaping into the southwestern

desert heat.

 

 

© 2025 Jennifer Wagner

 

Today over at NaPoWriMo (Day 2), the work of Georgia O’Keeffe is mentioned along with an optional prompt.  I recently read Roxana Robinson’s biography of O’Keeffe which was excellent—I highly recommend it.  Many know O’Keeffe moved to the Santa Fe area where she created some of her most iconic work, and since I’m also a transplant to the southwest (Arizona), this poem is where the muse lead.  Also, I did actually have this dream last night.

I recently visited the fabulous Ted DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Museum in Tucson.  I took the above mediocre photo there.   

Roadrunners don’t actually have blue legs (more gray/brown), but they do eat scorpions.

 

What’s Going On? (Open Link)

PAD Day 2 (loosely for "from where I'm sitting")

 

unjumble

 

black-throated sparrow,

feed me with your light-seed

a tap-crack opening on the sill—

 

my prints smudge the glass

the ghosts of my lips, fingertips,

press the pane—

 

your bride’s pale blue eggs

in the scrub, your song

a tinkling bell, twittering dub—

 

sing, ace of spades, sing—

cut through the tie of my tongue

with your song—

live down your name

 

 

© 2025 jennifer wagner

 

 

It’s April and that means poetry month once again!  This poem refers to writer’s block, which I am hoping to avoid since I am challenging myself to commit to posting more poetry this month.  I don’t know if I will be doing this as a daily practice, but we’ll see as my days allow.  And, since I love birds, I’m also challenging myself to include more of them, or an aspect of them, in these April poems. 

 

The black-throated sparrow is also referred to as a desert sparrow.  The black patch on its throat resembles the black spade on a playing card.  It has a delightful song despite its name. 

 

NaPoWriMo Day 1

 

the home run birthday gift

summer that year was a beauty
dry and hot
we pulled our hair back in ponytails
licked popsicles
and sipped water
in between games
dandelions bloomed like promises
in the outfield

it was better than my first kiss
when i got it
less sloppy,
more dirty—
savored spent-breath,
sweaty, flush, and beaming—
the green gleaming

and i don’t remember 
anything else 
i got that scrap-
book year, except the spotlight 
of my cleats
leaving a dusty outline planted
like petals on home plate 

© 2025 jennifer wagner 

poetic bloomings
shay’s word garden word list
sunday whirl