Bacon on the Bookshelf

It began innocently enough. She walked into a bookstore, a famous one…

The green carpet had seen better days. It almost had a seedy feel, that carpet. Like it should have been in a roadside motel.

It had seen a little THIS, it had seen a little THAT –

It could read between the lines – and so could she.

It all seemed a little predictable.

But then, probing further, she came upon the dark corner reserved for French language books. Things got – more interesting.

Around the next corner, things got – freaking Local.

She saw this –

and that –

she saw things she’d never seen before.

Breathing heavily, she found her way to the Staff Picks. She wasn’t quite ready. Until – she was.

She came away with this –

And this –

And also that –

Exhausted. Invigorated.

She sucked down the second airport Jack, lit a cigarette, and walked back out into the world.

* * *

The Corona Gardens (I)

Once upon a time
(in the Time of Corona)
a grand old pine perished, felled by tiny beetles
which seems kind of tragic
but not as tragic as it may have seemed
once upon a time.

Among its roots grew up a garden of
lavender, milkweed and veronica.
The carpenter bee kissed them all.

Nearby
the allium exploded in fireworks
while the bee balm fell apart.

In the garden of coneflowers and foxglove
the coneflower smiled and the foxglove complained
and the gardener made a decision perhaps neither right nor wrong
that did have significant consequences for the foxglove.