June Stepansky Poems

It is time to sit quietly
and think about death.

I will choose a sunny day
filled with fragrances,
...

My doctor says
“I think you
should take estrogen
to prevent osteoporosis
...

Ultimate blueness of ocean,
castle anchored mid-stream
bathed in white-hot sun
reflecting tranquility,
...

We round a corner
and look down a web of dark alleys.
On either side old stone buildings
stand as they have for centuries.
...

AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE


I walk gingerly upon the earth
...

They will love me
if I speak
what they want to hear.
They will love me
...

I will dip into
the depths of myself.
Am I not marvelous?
I am one with the grass
...

We had no flowers
on our block when I was six;
Just one small plot of fenced
and well-defended grass,
...

I am allergic to scallops.
Therapy will not help me.
Medication will not ameliorate it.
Meditation cannot change it.
...

Sometimes, in the night
I can still feel the heat of a man’s eyes
from across the plaza in Nauplia, Greece.
It was the softest of summer nights,
...