WRITER'S DESK

Black metal tubes supporting a flat white rectangular
plane half an inch thick bordered black on all sides

Back right corner, double cubes of CDs and cassettes
next left, a dictionary and thesaurus in book form
next left, a green copy of Gideon's Bible

Back left corner, a Y-stem of glossy camellia
leaves in a clear glass vase filled with new water
Back center, monitor screen, Solitaire program lit up
next left, an aqua and white glazed cup filled with

pens and pencils. Front left, a thin stack of papers
a coffee cup on top in reds, blues, yellows, greens
oranges, and a flying man design. Front center
the clicking mouse (no mouse pad needed), next right
yellow, lined sheets with scores of columns computed

down the page and a pen. Next right, the laptop open
screen unlit, processor processing. Middle left
a book upside down, Endless Threshold by Jack Hirschman
Next to the monitor, the black box of the adapter
and a box of diskettes. Under the Bible the bean game
The writer's black sweater, her curly blond locks

the shoulder moves, a silver watch band on the wrist
supporting the jaw, the fingers of the other hand

stop clicking. Another game won on the screen

The nuts and bolts, I assembled and dissembled it

--David Joseph

WRITER'S DESK

Black metal tubes supporting a flat white rectangular
plane half an inch thick bordered black on all sides

Back right corner, double cubes of CDs and cassettes
next left, a dictionary and thesaurus in book form
next left, a green copy of Gideon's Bible

Back left corner, a Y-stem of glossy camellia
leaves in a clear glass vase filled with new water
Back center, monitor screen, Solitaire program lit up
next left, an aqua and white glazed cup filled with

pens and pencils. Front left, a thin stack of papers
a coffee cup on top in reds, blues, yellows, greens
oranges, and a flying man design. Front center
the clicking mouse (no mouse pad needed), next right
yellow, lined sheets with scores of columns computed

down the page and a pen. Next right, the laptop open
screen unlit, processor processing. Middle left
a book upside down, Endless Threshold by Jack Hirschman
Next to the monitor, the black box of the adapter
and a box of diskettes. Under the Bible the bean game
The writer's black sweater, her curly blond locks

the shoulder moves, a silver watch band on the wrist
supporting the jaw, the fingers of the other hand

stop clicking. Another game won on the screen

The nuts and bolts, I assembled and dissembled it

--David Joseph