Reynold Bailey’s eyes are ice now but
they used to be cornflower blue like
a Crayola crayon. Sometimes Ruth Bailey is
Reynold Bailey’s mother Irene and sometimes she’s
just Ruthie. But Ruthie from long ago
before there were kids and they still lived on Symphony Drive.

The Café J waitress checks on the Baileys but
she laughs less and less each time at Reynold Bailey’s joke
—oh how he could eat the entire diner.
To Reynold Bailey the waitress is just a woman with
warm eyes but to the waitress Reynold Bailey is
an old friend from The Skenandoa Club on Norton.

Reynold Bailey nods along to Ruth Bailey who
discusses gardening and going to the library and
of course Mark and Col and Michael and
of course it’s not really a discussion.
He doesn’t search for her
like her used to.

When he disappears into the restroom the waiting
smells sickening and wet like
a bloody bandage and when he emerges
Reynold Bailey walks out of Café J and
he leaves Ruth Bailey
Behind.

Each morning after he rises Reynold Bailey drives 6 blocks to Café J
returns to his green craftsman house on Dwight Ave. and
tries to make Australia
out of one hundred cardboard
pieces. Always the same damn Australia.
And then he drives 6 blocks to Café J while
Ruth Bailey takes apart Australia and then
he returns to his green craftsman house on
Dwight Ave. and he tries to make Australia
out of one hundred cardboard
Pieces.