Boston Poet Laureate Sam Cornish sent me this poem that is very close to his heart. (Wouldn’t it be great if a Somerville Poet Laureate sent me a poem too?) Sam will be appearing at The Somerville News Writers Festival Nov. 13, 2010.

You Never Know About the Winter
****for Senator Edward M. Kennedy

The only poor we know
Are beside us

In the long lines waiting
for coffee in the mornings

Seven and ten an hour men
And women waiting like I do

For a scratch ticket the numbers
And the late night news

The lottery
School a better life for the children

We did not plan on having
The stork never heard of condoms

And the Holy Mother is busy sometimes
In other neighborhoods our parish

Is poor the collection plate
is passed from one good

Man to another
and we do the best we can

We are the poor they don’t talk
About our streets
for now our wives

Are working and the dollar menu
Is good and steady

Our teachers say the kids are learning
And there are jobs and the poor we know

But you never about know
About the winter

Till it comes
But we are the people of the neighborhoods
This what we are  and this is what we have

– Sam Cornish

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