Well a friend of mine at the Bagel Bards told me that our State Rep. Denise Provost is in a workshop that he participates in and she is a damn fine poet. We need more legislative poets–don’t you agree? Anyway I called her up and she sent me these two–for you!

The Deal

Crafty Bob, and his good friend, Mr. Wynn,

woo Foxborough. They make a solemn vow

that the great Pleasure Dome that they’ll put in

won’t turn the town to Vegas, or Macau.

“Bucolic” is the way Foxborough will stay.

No high rise buildings, or parades of cars

will spoil its home town feel, or Patriot ways,

but make the tax base plump; leave life unmarred.

I don’t live there. It is not up to me

to trust these wealthy gentlemen, or not.

I’ll watch Foxborough’s courtship, and I’ll see

if the Deal can be marketed, and bought.

I’m certain that the one per cent must know

what benefits the rest of us, below.

–   Denise Provost

Water Chestnut Pull, Mystic River

There was a time when every day in June

I woke anticipating summer’s fields;

picking wild strawberries; my good fortune

then to enjoy that sweet and fragrant yield.

But this June day another harvest brings

out on the weed-choked river, where we glide,

dragging up water chestnuts’ living strings

of leaf, stem, root, and seed-pods, dripping slime,

pulled up from sulfurous, anaerobic mud.

We pile our baskets with each reeking mass.

Our boat rides lower with this captive load;

we haul in truckloads full; the hours pass.

Though sun-ripe fruit would satisfy my greed

I’m well content, uprooting noxious weeds.

–   Denise Provost

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