Almost 8

Morning offering of beer bottles gather on the last 
step laid over, laid up, slept past last call
My coffee in too small a cup sits 
with me at a table that limps
Construction worker walks from sandwich shop to truck, 
early enough for the dirty professions, still too 
early for the clean, those bleached-sterile 
by fluorescent preserved in recycled air
Trash in the bushes, empty cup rolls 
along in this morning wind
will it be enough to push over clouds
 that fill this window
There’s my man!  A Hamster: suit and soft shoe, on his bike, 
backpack full of papers, phone, protein bar, water.  
He navigates through intersection of Railroad / 
Chestnut, the traffic light a suggestion
*A “Hamster” is a person who lives in Bellingham, Washington.

Published by Shannon Laws

Shannon Laws is an award-winning poet, performer, and advocate for the arts. She has been recognized with two Mayor’s Arts Awards and the Dr. Asha Bhargava Memorial Award — Community Champion. Her work has been featured in numerous journals and anthologies, and she has captivated audiences at esteemed literary events, including the Jack McCarthy Evergreen Invitational Slam, SpeakEasy, Poetry Night, Kitchen Sessions, and the West Coast Tagore Festival. Beyond her writing and performances, Shannon actively fosters literary and artistic communities. Since 2022, she has curated Corridor, a monthly “found-art” zine project that showcases the work of more than 50 contributing poets and artists. She is also the founder and host of Poetry Club, an engaging discussion group established in 2015.

One thought on “Almost 8

  1. I love the imagery, Shannon, the special early morning brought to life. Once, I rode the bus about then and it was like watching a black and white movie in which I was the camera. Inserting your man is a nice touch.

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