0019 O H I O! Poem by Michael Shepherd

and how many citizens of Ohio
know that when they say Ohio
they’re saying what, in the
Senecan language of the Iroquois tribe, is
‘Ohiyo’ meaning, it’s beautiful..
as said originally of the Ohio river;

so, poetry being a place where
the imagination is allowed to roam
as free as any Indian tribe, I like
to think of Ohians today passing
each other in the street every day
and saying ‘O-hi-yo! ’ with
a merry smile rather as in
‘Oklahoma’ was it, they sing
Oh what a beautiful morning

or as we do in a telephone call
when after a second or two
you come on the phone and
we say, ‘oh, hi… oh I forgot to say…’
mixing greeting and memory

well, there you are, Ohians,
I leave it to you,
whether this daily gesture
towards state pride, heritage, and
just friendliness, could catch on…
it’s poetry in action…