Stephen Howe, owner of Howe & Bassett, writes poems, prose and creates original crossword puzzles in his spare time. Click on the links below.

Stephen Howe, sees the world through the eyes of his son.

Best Lyrics — The first customer to identify all of them (without Google) will be sent a jar of Bio-Clean.

Poems by Stephen Howe:
9/10/06
College, week 1
The Rifle
Favorite Sports Poems by Others
Summer
Son In The Attic
Fall
Coat Tree
Heavy

Merlin

Beth & Rusty
This was written by my cousin about her sister, Beth & Rusty, my Best Man

Crossword Puzzles by Stephen Howe:
Everyone's Irish on St. Patricks Day
Time on my Hands

The Rifle
By Stephen Howe

At first glance it looks black & white, but for the curled lower edge brown with flame, his fist clutching the dull green strap of the rifle that keeps him company, a
whisper of yellow in the background, a field far away fallow with dreams.

I imagine someone had tried to crop the photo, but it wouldn't be altered, & like an exorcism survivor turned inside-out, the paper was stronger than life. Then his eyes looked through me, night-vision lens red & he
was moving now, through the lush green grass,
headlong into the fire. .

I rewind the years, smiling at the images blurred by
time & tears, reeling with memories. The water boils
I focus on the man standing tall next to my brother, looking down, not revealing himself. This is the man
who came all that way to shroud us in euphanisms, to bring us a flag, to take away our hope.

Discharged. The Marine darkened our stoop with a
crisp cap that stole the sun & flowery sleeves that told an honorable story. He spoke low & long of the
triumphs, the life-changing encounters. I grimaced with each detail but came to embrace the immortality that rained on Michael that day. I lift myself from the
chrome porch chair in need of tea, & glance at the photo for the last time, in the end, about another man's rifle.