Poem of the week: At the Gotham Book Mart

i.m. Andreas Brown

Once a young and hopeful scholar
I rushed the Gotham Book Mart's
shelves seeking sundry texts assigned
for seminars; more, in truth, for
old world ambience than supply
of books wrung out. Sometimes,
your eyebrows climbed, Andreas,
on bearing witness to an author's
name in bold print upon my CUNY
syllabus. Once, I asked of you,
"Does Salinger still come in to browse
on odd sorties home to New York?"
"Oh Yes," you said. "Ten minutes
ago whilst you were on your knees
amongst the Ms seeking Malamud's
Magic Barrel, Salinger stepped aside
to lend you cleaner access
to the lower shelves." Stern and spry
you then retreated to your annex
at the rear. Sotto voce on your phone.
Gotham Book Mart where I liked to fish.

Eamonn Wall’s Junction City: New and Selected Poems was published by Salmon Poetry in 2015. He is author of several books of essays including From Oven Lane to Sun Prairie: In Search of Irish America (Arlen House ).