I witnessed ten years of
flames running over
& extinguishing former saviors
into a flicker of unforgettable fire.
Hometown feelings of lost
filler—dust settles around
your feet as calming walks now
equate to a lonely end.
Few self-proclaimed heroes left
at old local hang outs, appearing
sickly as they creep by the
cash register, ready for a foretold death.
My name?
Now numb.
Fleeing toward the familiar boulevard corner.
Where young pearls roam about.
Faces I’m not acquainted with.
I keep to myself, smoking a cigarette, observing the new breed, lacing the
new strain of Bellingham chosen.
Taking a last drag, I flipped my Marlboro to the ground, waved goodbye & headed to the bar.
Untethered from the townies.
Who have no idea of my aging identity.
Take a fin from the wallet to buy a beer.
Start my swallowing of forgetful tears
toward the old backyard.
No longer a friend in sight.
Dan Provost’s poetry has been published both online and in print since 1993. He is the author of 17 books/ chapbooks, including All in a Pretty Little Row, released by Roadside Press, in November 2023. Notes From the Other Side of the Bed will be published by A Thin Slice of Anxiety Press in early 2025. His work has been nominated for The Best of the Net three times and has read his poetry throughout the United States. He lives in Keene, New Hampshire with his wife Laura, and dog Bella.
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