Dee Dee came by this morning
wanting to know how I
was coming along on her bookcase,
actually not caring, she said,
no hurry, just curious.

Have you ever heard of something
by someone? she asked. You
being a former English teacher
and all, I figured anybody
knew about it, you would.

I hadn’t heard of it she was
going to get it anyway,
a reference in there about
a town close to where she grew up
over how many years ago.

That sure was pretty wood that oak,
not like that old pine everybody
told her she could get at Wal-Mart
for half the price, not lasting near
as long, turning out real nice.

Don’t let her stop me, she’d be
going, just wanted to stop by
to see if I’d know anything
she ought to buy to put along
side that one we’d talked about,

by the way what was the name
of it again, she couldn’t
remember anything these days,
and be sure to inscribe it,
the back maybe, from you to me.