At night we heard the chirping
-----------of the diesel frogs
A common crossing
-----------beneath the trestle
Vagabonds
A boy stretched out like Jesus
-----------He already knew
Monuments
The future engraving granite
----------into each of his ribs
Our hearts were really pumping
Cathoom, cathoom
I watched a train churn slowly above us
Graffitied and loud
The engineer's arm waving
His face out of view
6 comments:
I should preface by saying I have a thing for railroad tracks--there are some within a biking distance from my parents' house, and I used to wander around them looking for fossils in the rocks (I say "used to" when in fact I did it at least twice this summer).
I like this poem. "The diesel frogs" is such a great phrase. I'm not sure I'm following "the future engraving granite"--what I picture you imagining is the granite being like an inlay, set into the bone ("The future inlaying granite").
Cathoom is a lovely sound, too. :)
Thanks, Mark. Nice suggestion about inlaying. That might work better!
Deeply moving, especially the monument and granite bits, his tombstone. Great read.
Smiles!
R Jay
(I got rid of Calder...lol)
Thanks, R Jay. Yes, you get it. Wonderful!
Man oh man. I still love this poem. Is this published somewhere?
Thanks, Vince. For some reason I don't think I've ever sent this poem out.
Are you settling in to the school year? Whipping those students into shape :-)
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