The Mayor Of Putnam Street Poem by Raj Dronamraju

Immediately recognizable in a double breasted blazer someone discarded in the trash
Covering a faded surfer t-shirt and pants with holes in both knees
Flip flops on his feet in any kind of weather

He talks to himself outside the dry cleaning store
And his words whistle through the space of missing front teeth
Sparse facial hair at random intervals on mottled skin

Miscellaneous blessings on Putnam Street
A boy not hit by a car
An old man in remission from cancer
A marriage that was saved and did not end in divorce

There is no connection on Putnam Street or anywhere else
Between close escapes and suffering not alleviated by uncaring samaritans
The Mayor of Putnam Street has never asked me for anything
I offered him a doughnut once and he refused to take it