The Sunday Poet: Howie Faerstein

Howie Faerstein

Howie Faerstein’s full-length book of poetry, Dreaming of the Rain in Brooklyn, a selection of the Silver Concho Poetry Series, was published in 2013 by Press 53. His work can be found in numerous journals, including Great River Review, Nimrod, CutThroat, Upstreet, The Comstock Review, Off the Coast, Cape Cod Review, Mudfish, and on-line in Gris-Gris, Connotation Press et al. He lives in Florence, Massachusetts and teaches American Literature at Westfield State University.

At the Locust Street Dump

Someone from town

grows African Violets

from a mother leaf,

pots up the seedlings

when they measure a kinglet’s heart,

brings them to the transfer station

and places them

on the freebie stand

by the compactor.

I’ve taken a half dozen over the years,

the two in my kitchen bloom

everlasting,

purple, bruised-white, candescent.

Others I’ve given to neighbors,

my love.

Someone from town

raises African Violets

for strangers,

coaxes them from a mother leaf,

puts up plantlets at three months.

But I fear the person took sick,

maybe died.

All that’s on the table this summer:

broken toasters, battered toys.