The Whole Point

In the north country each road downtown
seems to head you toward one mountain or another,
as if the whole point

of settling a town was to build roads that take you
to this trailhead or that—

as if the advantage of living here at all
is the chance to view your aspirations from higher up.

Many villages have a steeple making the same point.

Show me someone killing time
downtown, who says, “What’s in it for me,” or even
“If I can’t have her, nobody will,”

or “go back where you came from”—
I’ll show you someone who isn’t strong into climbing.

Russell Rowland writes from New Hampshire, where he has judged high-school Poetry Out Loud competitions. His work appears in Except for Love: New England Poets Inspired by Donald Hall (Encircle Publications), and Covid Spring, Vol. 2 (Hobblebush Books). His latest poetry book, Magnificat, is available from Encircle Publications.