studying in the shadow of baxter basement

James Bowden

one green afternoon, quiet leaves 3 stories overhead

this morning, a tiny shoot poked out from the shelter of a broken mug
sown from her favorite fruit: beans
to think that I would write this /

she laughed in wonder, as i dozed off over my book of poems
        over my open laptop
                            open homework
        over the gentle hum of a woman dead of multiple (as if one wasn’t enough) sclerae, seducing a cello into
        the shape of Dvorak’s famous 42-minute ejaculation, still not enough to hold her husband, her conductor
        no less!
edging me on, you are free, breathe, sleep, RUN!
one green afternoon, quiet leaves 3 stories overhead