North of Boston

A linked collection of poems presents scenes of rural life and the inner lives of its residents, alternating observational lyrics and dramatic monologues. Recurring concerns include boundaries between people and nature, the routines and weariness of labor, domestic sorrow and strained relationships, memory and sleep, and the small rituals that shape community. Voices shift between conversational speakers and reflective narrators, often using plain speech and natural imagery to explore uncertainty, duty, and longing. The sequence balances quiet humor and understatement with moments of sharp emotional tension, folded into spare, musical language and varied formal patterns.