Roberta Swann has published poetry and fiction in many journals, including the Kenyon Review, the North American Review, and Ploughshares. With John Lewis and Gary Giddins she founded The American Jazz Orchestra and now works as a fashion consultant.

Summer Reading
I'm reading. A gold-tipped insect lands on the page, following each word.

I wonder if (a) he's a fan of Proust,
(b) sees each letter as another insect, and
(c) am I obligated to keep reading
this unfortunate choice
on such a humid day?

I study him.
His Groucho eyebrows grab me.
I rise gingerly, carry him in state

inside the open book
while I select another
from a shrinking stack.

And settle back.
The insect hops on, but takes off
by page 2, unwilling to waste time
on best-sellers, I guess. Or maybe
I'm overthinking this, and he was just in it
for the madeleine.

-- Roberta Swann