The Bookbinder's House, Selvole

Silence mostly
or a dark humming.

          Bees thick in the lavender.
          Lavender in an old jar

on the table
and plums, wine,

          fresh honey.

Bare walls, only
sketches of local

          flora: chamomile, wild
          nard, oregano. Scent of

leather and dust
from the books'

          loose spines.

Rooms inhaling light,
holding the pitcher

          on the window ledge
          still. A doorframe

slicing the four-
poster bed

          in half.

In the bindery,
the long, low work

          table. Brushes, knives,
          spools of coarse thread.

Japanese paper
arranged by

          translucency.

Poems by Lisa Sitkin: