Brown Study

A gentleman will clamber
upon her fifth floor balcony
vault a chaise longue
black suited on his dignity
and purposefully stride
into her brown study

She will feign to ignore him
and rather talk in asides
to the familiar at her shoulder
of succulent fruits and sultry jungles
thick lush furs of the frozen North
and the abrasion of falling water

Never ceasing to cook and sew
to knead and bake
to wind and weave and polish
her tales to perfection

His eyes may whisper imprecations
his tongue flick lightly
and thin manicured fingers
seek solace in petting
some unconsidered itch

She will talk in asides
to the familiar at her shoulder
she will not cease to cook and sew
and polish her tales to perfection
she will not cease to talk

Of figurines of porcelain
orchids and chrysanthemum
velvet and vermilion
the timbre of grand pianos
and the ubiquity of moss