Andrew Scott is a native of Fredericton, NB. During his time as an active poet, Andrew Scott has taken the time to speak in front of classrooms, judge poetry competitions as well as had over 200 hundred writings published worldwide in such publications as The Art of Being Human, Battered Shadows and The Broken Ones.

Andrew Scott has published five poetry books, Snake With A Flower, The Phoenix Has Risen, The Path, The Storm Is Coming and Searching andone book of photography, Through My Eyes.  Whispers Of The Calm is his sixth poetry book.

To contact Andrew, email …andrewscott.scott@gmail.com

Edge Of Town

Part One - Shadows


I have been sitting on this porch for years.
Far enough in the shadows
that no one pays attention to me. 

For decades I have seen so much here.
This little community on the edge of town.
All over my evening coffee.

It seems that folk from other parts
have forgotten about this little place.
The summer roads never get fixed
and the winter roads never get plowed.

You hardly ever see the law
patrolling out here.
Takes forever when they
or any other emergency vehicle is called. 

This place is not really poor.
A lot of hard working people here,
making ends meet the right way.
Some do other things to make money.
I see it all night,
the comings and goings.

Part Two - All Night Drive Thru

During the day, the house looks normal,
car in the driveway,
swing set for the kids in the yard.
The picture of everyday life. 

Personally, I have never seen 
either adult living there
leave each day for work
however they never seem to go without. 

As soon as the sunsets
their outside light goes on.
People from the neighbourhood
start to walk up to their door
and then leave once they are greeted.
The whole exchange in less than two minutes. 

The amount of cars 
during all hours of the night
that take their time to visit them
from parts of town 
that are not here.
I do not believe they ever sleep.

Odd part is they have
others standing as a checkpoint
so the customers never get lost.
They are young and the money is good
but sometimes the employees disappear
sending parents into a panic. 



Part Three - The Missing

It happens year round around here.
For days teens disappear,
two or three at a time.
Mostly fourteen to sixteen year olds.

During this time
is one of the few times
the police come out here.
They take the report,
post a message on social media
and then we do not 
see the patrol again until next time. 

The teens usually come back
after two or three days
to panic stricken parents
who are too teary
to ask questions
or discipline for the vanishing. 

We all know where they vanished too.
A place to have the latest party favours.
Not sure with today's technology
ho the kids are able to escape.
They must have their phones off. 

This place does get stressful
when the kids are not found
especially during the winter.
No one wants to visualize
where they maybe are.
The spring thaw sadly
lets us all know. 



Part Four - The River

There is a little river
that flows beside
our little part of town.

In the peace of the middle of the night
you can hear the water flow.
It is soothing for the soul. 

Such tranquility takes away
the terror caused every spring.
The floods from the ice melt
always take out a road
and a few basements. 

The real horror is along the banks.
The missing reappear.
One or two bodies every spring.
The screams when they are recognized. 
Lost is deafening. 

Once again, the few times
a patrol car comes
the deaths are ruled as accidents.
Poor deceased not taken care of.
No answers for anyone
such as how did they get there?

Part Five - The Drivers

The funny part of others
looking down at this part of town
is that the same folks
are always here
trying to find something
they cannot find anywhere else. 

Cars that are unrecognizable
that come through here
so you always know they are strangers.
Their vehicles are newer
and the drivers are wide-eyed
at what they find they first time here. 

They can quickly get substances
by driving up to corner carriers
and then the same trip 
is made repeatedly.

We have two pubs
and fun and games
can be found with friendly folks
that they cannot find at home.
No questions asked. 

The drivers could go anywhere.
Guess it is easier to come here.
Adding to our lawless reputation.

Part Six - Skeletons On The Edge OF Town

Every person I know has skeletons.
You can see it from the lines on their skin
and the tired, guilty eyes in their face. 

The folks here seem to add on each day.
The creeping around at night
to doing it during the day.
No one is hiding anything here anymore. 

It is the lack of shame
that brings people here from all over
making the reputation here worse.
While some of it is our fault,
not all of it is us. 

While others get to hide their skeletons
ours bring people to us.

If we do not fix that
as it gets worse around here
then we will be judged
and get ignored when help is needed. 

That is life out here on the edge of town.