Come on
it’s not like you really
cared about the New York cold—

The trumpets are blaring
in the basement again.
Do you remember the jazz players
when they'd take your wishes
and make 'em into gilded strings
& air by night

or when they'd shut down
the town just to hear
your voice again—

Honey,
you can't play the cello if
time's your biggest concern

instead, remember
my voice fronted
by the faces in the crypt
and come home again.

Ryan Crawford (he/him) is a current junior in Columbia College studying Linguistics and Drama. He enjoys all things language related and is an avid performer in the Columbia Kingsmen as well as on stage. You can often find him in a Broadway theatre or in one of the many blackboxes on campus. He can be found on Instagram @realryancrawford.