
Jeffrey Bowen – photo by Kim Yanoshik
bridge avenue perfumery
he sniffs the air like his canine brothers,
detects artist’s paint and sweet roses
on the summer breeze,
cigarettes and herb
from the neighbor’s open window,
sulfur from the most recent barrage
of fourth of july firecrackers,
red wine and black coffee
walking hand in hand
toward the gathering sounds
of ohio city restaurants.
he’s missing the party,
again,
stayed home alone
to do the laundry,
read,
keep close company with old records,
and words wrapped tightly
like hand rolled
cuban cigars.
he savors the solitude
but longs for
feminine contact,
the top note of anticipation
wafting like jasmine
across the citrus
of intelligent conversation.
he savors the caress
of this cool summer day’s slowly
passing,
recalls the warm sands of proximity,
the euphoria of bright eyes across the table,
and fingers barely touching
electric.
* * * * *
Jeffrey Bowen’s poetry has been published by ArtCrimes, Cicada, Cool Cleveland, Crisis Chronicles, CSU Poetry Center, Dimensions, Doan Brook Watershed, Excursions, Green Panda Press, Hessler Street Fair, Procrastination Press, Poet’s League of Greater Cleveland, The City, The Cleveland Reader, and Whiskey Island Magazine. He is one of six poets profiled in the 1995 documentary, “Off the Page”. Four of his poems are featured on Cleveland Tumbadors, an album of Traditional Afro Cuban Music and Latin Jazz on Fame City Records. Jeffrey is the resident poet & conga player with the band, Cats On Holiday, and his poetry appears on their CD, Holiday in a Box from COHTONE Records. In addition to his poetic work, Jeffrey’s writing has appeared in Call & Post, City News, Cool Cleveland, EcoWatch, Elephant Journal, Girl Scout News, GreenCityBlueLake, Live Cleveland, Neighborhood News, Nonprofit Notes, Sun News and various Habitat for Humanity publications.