Poetry By Justin Karcher

Joseph Gage CC




April Is Not the Cruelest Month 

On lunch, I walked by my old elementary school 
and a chubby kid waved to me from the window. 

While I waved back, Megan texted me that she was 
in Syracuse. On the train, a guy who had just been 

released from prison told her he was going home. 
She listened to him call his mom and gave him 

some food. I thought about winter loosening its grip 
on spring, how flowers sprout where the knuckles 

used to be, and we have to grow into our soft sadness 
like new homeowners unsure about the future.

​


Justin Karcher (Twitter: @justin_karcher, Bluesky: @justinkarcher.bsky.social) is a Best of the Net- and Pushcart-nominated poet and playwright from Buffalo. He is the author of several books, including Tailgating at the Gates of Hell (Ghost City Press, 2015). Recent playwriting credits include The Birth of Santa (American Repertory Theater of WNY) and “The Buffalo Bills Need Our Help” (Alleyway Theatre). https://www.justinkarcherauthor.com