Paperboy Completes His Morning Route

Anthony Hammill

February 2022

Arriving at Ironbound,

a neighbor smiles from their

faded brick-clad house with

a Portuguese flag waving.

Pinched noses block out dioxin.

Rainwater mistaken for leachate.

Where the neighbor has a sign

begging for clean air, they

ask their plight to be reported.

Tread carefully in Weequahic,

felt the specter of Camden.

rusted out sedan on cinder blocks.

Threw a paper next to a 9mm casing.

Paper spreads it wings, arcs,

loose sheets swoop through the air

before resting on the concrete sidewalk

Sun shines on the ad for

bail bonds and unused EBT cards.

Squeeze in Downtown,

handed off the paper to front desk.

Then watch it frail and plead before

it's thrown into a garbage chute.