Johnstown

This is the poem I wrote for the Johnstown Poet Laureate contest. They’re announcing it at 1 PM on November 3rd, hosted on https://www.poetjohnstown.com/

By no means do I want anyone calling me by my birth name, but know that if Karter Hochstein wins, I’ll be celebrating with an ungodly amount of caffeine.

A town sits cold and rainy

Looked down upon by a rich many.

What's left of the flood prior,

Born from the ash of a coal fire,

A phoenix will rise in Allegheny.

A city of forests and potholes

With severely lacking payrolls,

Dominated by two golden arches

And yearly, motorcycle marches.

The city of unrealized souls,

Waiting to divert expectations.