Bob Zaslow

Jigsaw Puzzle

He was perhaps 83, sitting.

She, a year or two older, standing,

cane in her left hand.

Both working the puzzle

from opposite sides of the library table.

Not a sound.

Except for the cardboard pieces

sliding, then snapping into place.

Furrowed brows.

Hunched backs.

Papery hands that danced

over the board like bygone ballerinas.

When he found a piece

in the lower right that fit,

his face relaxed for a moment.

A mini-satori.

When she looked down but could find no fit,

she shrugged but did not sit,

scurrying to the southwest,

two pieces in her hand,

as if it would double her chances;

eyes surveying the territory

like a watchful Napoleon,

she pounced to a spot three inches

from the bottom and

fit both pieces,

releasing a tiny breath.

She did not look across the table

for acknowledgment, even though

this was no small feat.

Instead, she sat and breathed.

I imagined they’d been married

sixty years and they had no need

to say, I love you, either.

Suddenly, he moved like a much younger man

to her side of the table, laying down another piece

as he fit his left hand over her right.

She worked the northwestern side.

Snap. Snap. Two more pieces.

I left before they finished.

By then, I knew

they were not just passing the time,

but squeezing all the juice out of it.

Bob Zaslow (playwright, filmmaker, poet and lyricist, children’s book author, educator) won a Bronze Award from the American Film Institute for his documentary film, Nadine Valenti, Portrait of a Painter. As an advertising copywriter/creative supervisor, he won a Clio and two Effies. And as book-writer for the musical play, The Seed of Abraham, his show received high praise for its performances at the FringeNYC Festival’s flagship Bleecker Street Theater. His play, You Were Awesome! was published in Applause Books’ anthology, Best Ten-Minute Plays, 2019. He has also written the rap-musical, Bardolatry! which follows Shakespeare’s life through the stories of six of his most popular plays…all with syncopated, humorous lyrics. The play is based on his book, Rap-Notes: Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits, which has become a tool English teachers use to make the Bard more accessible. He also co-wrote Twelfth Night- A Rap-A-Da-Ta-Tion also aimed at educators. Here is the link to the promo to obtain the rights to perform this adaptation:  https://youtu.be/ULPUtUb3j_M?si=mZdXLnKYfJXQCUZk 

In addition, his children’s book The Mayfly and the Methuselah Tree, won the Best Children’s Picture Book, spring 2022, from The BookFest. And it was made into a six-minute animated film. https://youtu.be/9SYUvwU_iEs?si=U-QyDEykjKhrF8_o

His poetry has been published by Muleskinner Journal and he has self-published fourteen children’s books. https://www.mrzstorytime.com 

Bob has two Master’s Degrees. One in Art from Hunter College and the other in Education from Mercy College (Summa cum Laude).