William Bain

Drawing glass

Is it my fault that the florist put

this broad leaf in the bouquet

foreshortened now in the rectangular

vase on the dining room table.

The faucet—a clock.

Strict contraband—

backscatter.

namesake

rustling in the cattails—then …

a call                sweet               melodious

but what bird               what call

there in the green of the reed

slightly smaller than a sparrow

about the same color—

quickly concealing in the leaf

color study

stretched over the graphite to

mix at midnight the

time will come to commit to another support

waiting retraces to broaden

what quill brush hand drops

toothache

and what’s not recalled

© William Bain


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