Kathleen Lombardo was a force — a phenomenally  talented poet, playwright, and librettist whose work is not only thought-provoking and innovative, but also deeply musical. My thanks goes to her husband, the composer and artist, Robert Lombardo, for allowing me to share some of her poetry with you. I hope you’ll share it with others.

Two Love Poems

I took a bath without water
wavelengths of longing
reached my chin-

while dressing
I dreamed up a light dry wine
of love poems
to have with dinner-

then I walked outside
sealed myself
to the sky

and dreamed of
drinking your feelings-

**********

my heart was full
of drunken spinning fish-
but I just couldn’t say why

when I noticed the sun
on its big red belly
swimming down the horizon

then the moon appeared
like an apricot

and I remembered the night
you took a bite
and shared it with me-

© 2013 kathleen lombardo
All Rights Reserved

Kathleen Lombardo was a poet, playwright, and librettist. One of her scripts, Palle D’oro, produced at the Chicago Historical Society, was made into a film by Fred Stassen, and awarded a Hugo at the International Film Festival in Chicago.  She collaborated  with several composers including her husband, Robert Lombardo.  Her plays, To Save a Kinsman, written under an Illinois Arts Council grant, Mahalia and Me, Northside/Southside, and Joplin, were broadcast over WFMT Chicago. In 2015, her satirical poem, “Gesualdo Describes Afterlife” was published in (After)life: Poems and Stories of the Dead.

Visit Kathleen’s web site for more information and links to podcasts.