Conversation by James Madigan

On the library third floor

three works of art converse.

A rust belt photograph of abandoned buildings,

empty freight yards, hungry silos

against sleek skyscrapers of finance.

The shadow of the artist sly in the lower corner.

To its left, an incomplete looking construction. Drab

green oil paint and encaustic cover nine canvas squares affixed

to exposed framing, a blue rectangle touching each.

On an adjacent wall, mixed media 

with little spacemen cavorting against an atmosphere

of S&H collectible green stamps.

All day they recall their making and their makers.

At night at the Green Mill, five musicians wordlessly

communicate in a vocabulary they call gypsy jazz:

Romanian, Russian, Brazilian, French and Yiddish.

The percussionist and rhythm guitarist

keep the conversation from getting out of hand.

The violinist rarely comments,

but with wit and import every time.

The bassist and lead guitarist

push the conversation

forward into the morning.

James Madigan is the father of three daughters, public librarian and humanities professor. His work has been published in The Typescript, Tiger Moth Review, Oddball Magazine and his work will be seen this Fall in Owen Wister Review and Capsule Stories. He lives in Oak Park, Illinois.