For thirty seconds at ten p.m. 
time held its breath—Emma striding 
away, an ebb tide on Clayton 
street, her auburn hair and rust-colored 
scarf, small waves in the October 
wind, and finally, she’s eclipsed 
by the parade of college kids 
bar-hopping, it’s Thursday night after 
all, their pockets graced by fake 
IDs and credit cards billed 
to Mom. No prof is foolish 
enough to teach on Fridays, 
when all those quotes about the 
“love that burns brightest,” “hottest,” 
“scorches,” “sears,” float by—lyrics 
from a mental karaoke 
machine—and today being just short of my 
thirty-eighth birthday, I stepped out 
of the revolving ten p.m. sky 
full of twinkling co-eds, and ran my 
fingers over the two burn scars on 
my left bicep—wondering why I 
couldn’t keep that flame burning, 
wondering how my heart had twisted 
into the Pleiades—those seven 
star sisters that can’t be viewed 
directly, always hovering on the 
the periphery—just out of 
focus—never crisp, never clear—
never to be held. 

Gary Grossman

is Professor Emeritus of Animal Ecology at University of Georgia. His poetry is published in 30+ venues, including Verse-Virtual, Your Daily Poem, Poetry Life and Times, Poetica, Trouvaille Review, MacQueen’s Quinterly, Poetry Superhighway, Muddy River Poetry Review, The Knot, Delta Poetry Review, and Delta Poetry Review; his creative nonfiction, in Tamarind Literary Magazine; and his short fiction, in MacQueen’s Quinterly.

His first book of poems, Lyrical Years, is forthcoming in 2023 from Kelsay Press, and his graphic novel, My Life in Fish: One Scientist’s Journey, is available from http://www.garygrossman.net/my-life-in-fish-one-scientists-journey/. Hobbies include running, music, fishing, and gardening.

Author’s website: www.garygrossman.net

And his writing blog: https://garydavidgrossman.medium.com/