Tag: Pat Tompkins

Fish Frown by Pat Tompkins


By admin

Dogs smile but fish
are serious.

Without a doubt,
sober are trout.

The gar, smelt, and crappie
thrive yet are not happy.

Glum are the salmon,
and carp tend to harp.

Piscatory life
is not without strife.

Cold and wet, stuck in schools,
baited hooks catch the fools.

Sad is the fish who
struggles with issues.

I wonder if
fish wish.

(Previously published in Thema)

Pat Tompkins is an editor in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her poems have appeared in Confingo, The A3 Review, bottle rockets, and other publications.

 

The Artist Does Laundry by Pat Tompkins


By admin

The artist mixes darks and lights
in a single load on washday,
although she knows that blacks and whites
will turn various tones of gray.

The cheap madras fabric bleeds
odd shades: a true creation.
The bargain red towel will lead
to pastel pink foundations.

Different colors each season:
a della robbia blue
gets muddied into titian.
The old wardrobe becomes new.

(Previously published in Still Point Quarterly)

Pat Tompkins is an editor in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her poems have appeared in Confingo, The A3 Review, bottle rockets, and other publications.

 

This Season’s Decorator: 10 Tips by Pat Tompkins


By admin

I just adore the realness
of dust. Kyrgyzstan never
goes out of style. We always
use fur for holiday meals. You
can’t have too many pearls in
a kitchen. This year’s color is
hand-knotted Turkish carpets.
I simply can’t say enough about
napkin rings. Small pots of chartreuse
enliven any room. Don’t underestimate
the power of vetiver candles. Nothing
personalizes a space like lapis lazuli.
Invest in the very best-quality
curtain rods you can afford.

Pat Tompkins is an editor in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her poems have appeared in Confingo, The A3 Review, bottle rockets, and other publications.