Steering wheel worn smooth like river stone
Night shift ends on Clark Street all alone
Engine cools down ticking soft and slow
Roots seek water where the dry winds blow
Root notes hum in basement blue
Taxus baccata waits for dew
Fingers pick the nylon string
Double bass begins to sing
Fare meter dark the vinyl split
Pollen counts the hours I submit
Quercus shadows on the dashboard cast
Dormant seeds hold tight against the blast
Green Mill stairs descend to cigarette air
Xylem vessels carry sound up there
Brushes kiss the cymbal soft and low
Mycorrhiza networks glow below
Root notes hum in basement blue
Taxus baccata waits for dew
Fingers pick the nylon string
Double bass begins to sing
Chlorophyll fades in sodium light
Photosynthesis stops at night
But rhythm feeds what sun denies
Syncopation feeds the rise
Ignition off the keys rest in my palm
Germination waits for morning calm
Perennial patience in the driver's seat
Chicago blues turn bitter to the sweet
Root notes hum in basement blue
Taxus baccata waits for dew
Fingers pick the nylon string
Double bass begins to sing
Root notes hum in basement blue
Slow drag home