October 2017
D. R. James
james@hope.edu
I live with my wife, psychotherapist Suzy Doyle, in the woods east of Saugatuck, Michigan, and between us we have six grown children, two daughters-in-law, three grandchildren, and two cats. I have been teaching writing, literature, and peace-making at Hope College for 33 years and just got word that my second full-length poetry collection will be released by Dos Madres Press in early 2018.  In addition I’ve published five chapbooks (four with Finishing Line Press and one with Pudding House Publications), and individual poems and prose have appeared in various journals and anthologies, including Ritual to Read Together: Poems in Conversation with William Stafford.  ( amazon.com/author/drjamesauthorpage )

​"Everyone Talks During the Bass Solo"
                                                        —Billy Collins, “1960”
 
It sounded like, Che ate Pat’s grandma!
And I’m like…. Before I forget, the “Check Engine”
light came on again. And now “Cruise Control”
keeps flashing. For some reason I never noticed
Joanne won’t let anything go. Where do you think
 
those two came in from? Another Scotch rocks?
This time last year we had no idea. I miss seeing
smoke curling up past a bass player’s face.
 
Remember the guy from the gallery? Broke,
that’s why. The Knicks couldn’t buy a bucket.
I don’t know how she functions. “Yeah,” he says,
“if I hear that son of a bitch, bitch one more time….”
So I was thinking we could cancel that. God,
 
they grow up so fast. But it is what it is.
We should order something. I love how
the sax player just leaves. When is Christmas
 
this year? Couldn’t keep up. Oh, cats
are easy compared to dogs. Too funny.
Something to do with his loser brother’s
mother-in-law. On a good day, under an hour.
No way! Way. Whatever, my ass. I just like
 
a tune with words. Another Scotch rocks?
Watch, he’ll barely cue the band. In college,
Nineveh clever ought the ender pike gist.
©2017 D.R.James   
Editor's Note:  If this poem(s) moves you please consider writing to the author (email address above) to tell him or her. You might say what it is about the poem that moves you. Writing to the author is the beginning of community at Verse Virtual. It is very important. -FF