I’ll walk with James to Central Park
in the middle of the night

and let him run off leash while
I climb every tree, even the red oaks
that stretch into the stars

until morning brings us to our senses,
squirrels emerge from their burrows
and all the stars disappear.

Stephanie Jones works as a features writer for DownBeat magazine and Hot House Jazz Guide. When time permits, she hosts a podcast called “After the Call.” Jones graduated from Wellesley College having studied with Frank Bidart and Alicia Erian, and earned her BFA in Jazz Performance from The City College of New York. See more at linkedin.com/in/meetmissjonesny.