Photography © Edward S. Gault

 

On Boylston Street

On Boylston Street,
a group of people gather at the curb
waving signs that proclaim
A BETTER WORLD IS NEAR.
Brake lights burn.
Windows glow.
Overhead, red turns green
turns yellow back to red.
Around the corner,
a person piles on another blanket
against the February night,
hides their face,
and curls up
beneath a bus shelter
so that better world
doesn’t split their head
when it crashes to Earth.

 

Originally from New Jersey, Daniel Barlekamp now lives with his wife and son in Massachusetts, where he practices immigration law. He would rather live on the rocky coast of Maine. Other interests include caffeine and the series “One Step Beyond,” which, if you haven’t seen it, you really should (it’s available for free).

Edward S. Gault is a poet and fine arts photographer living in Brighton, Massachusetts. His work has appeared in Oddball Magazine, Spectrum, Wilderness House Literary Review, Interlude, Currents, and Encore. His poetry collection, Airhead and Other Poems was published this year by Read and Green Books.