The Tookany Review Vol. II Fall/Winter 2006/2007
In this issue
Edited by Deborah Fries
At this
time, the Tookany Review
is accepting only the work of
writers who are enrolled
or have been enrolled in
Cheltenham Adult School
writing workshops.
For
more information about
writing workshops offered by
the Cheltenham Township Adult School, contact:
Cheltenham Township Adult
School
1414 Panther Road
Wyncote, PA 19095
Phone: 215-887-1720
Ed D'Ancona
Two poems
It is That Time
On this October morning,
The air tastes like
An ice cold drink of water
To Archie McPhee.
This not so young man,
Hears the soft crunch
Of twigs and leaves
Under his feet
As he walks alone
Through the woods.
So many leaves.
Some green,
More brown, orange, yellow, red.
More on the ground
Than in the sky.
And the sky.
Oh, the sky.
The sharp, clear, blue, sky.
Will love ever be more than an
abstraction?
Archie knows what he is supposed to do.
Declare, own up, risk, reveal,
Let go.
Brave things.
They met on the street
After so many years.
He liked the way her mouth smiled.
She remembered his name.
She was direct.
Her flirting was fun.
He was impressed
By how much information
She gave and obtained
In such a short time.
The next step is obvious,
But requires grit.
How can a man,
As hard as a sidewalk,
As fragile as a vapor,
Be intimate.
Who will be the first to disappoint?
Then what?
There is the heady fragrance
Of wood smoke.
In his mind’s eye
He is a young boy again.
Raking leaves with his father.
Up and down the street.
In front of each house
Are piles of leaves,
Often taller than him.
They are burning.
Huge black clouds of smoke,
Fiery cinders,
Are rising up high.
The smell.
Oh, the smell.
The deep, rich, smell
Of all that is natural,
Primordial,
Organic.
Never to be forgotten.
Since creation
This smell is
Have courage,
Be alive,
Survive.
Archie stands still.
Looking into that space
Between reality
And what he wants to be.
After a moment,
He begins walking again.
It is that time.
Ed D'Ancona
is a
retired banker
and soon-to-be grandfather, who
is exploring many new things,
including the writing of poetry. He lives in Jenkintown.