Night Watchman
By Jason Wesco

For my father, Edward, and great-grandfather, Pearl

The cicadas’ songs swell
beyond the loading dock door
that frames
the watchman and child

Sitting side by side
the boy’s legs swing
from the platform
as the watchman’s

boots flank a stool

The old man accepts

a thermos and pail
from the child
as they look into the evening
sharing sandwiches
and talking
their comfortable talk

In time, the watchman rises
and stretches wide
in the falling night
He pats the boy
and, checking his keys,
ambles off to his rounds

The boy lingers a while
fingers the tail of his coonskin cap
then grabs the pail
skipping down the stairs
and away

— Jason Wesco is a Perry poet who runs 219 Press, which publishes, among other things, books of poetry. Poet’s Showcase features work by area poets. Submit your poetry via e-mail with a subject line of Poet’s Showcase to mpaget@ljworld.com or send typewritten (not handwritten) submissions to Mindie Paget, 645 N.H., Lawrence 66044, attn: Poet’s Showcase. Teen writers should submit their work to the 18 & Under page at teens@ljworld.com.