24 years ago

From bed I fall
for vaporous dawn and pearly skies,
skip and leap down steep slopes
to the rails:

infinity, straight-pinned to earth.

Like clocks tick,
my feet take tracks.
Liquid shoulders roll,

tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.

The sun rounds,
up through the horizon,
mirroring sunset over a distant land.

The rails curve away.

Long, mindless trek,
gone so far, must have flown.
I sit, rail hard under my hand on the bridge,

Sun up, sky solid.

Over Still Creek, thick with algae,
I drop a rock.
Green-cake breaks with a muffled plunk

ripples liquid dark below.

I have to pee,
never can stay
still for long.
Faintly more aware I walk
home.