The death of a moon cowboy

I am a somewhat-youth with ideas and thoughts and too many dreams that sometimes overflow as these little dribblings from my fingertips. I guess you can try to collect and capture them.


Thursday, September 09, 2010

Indetermination by railroad

I walk the railroad ties,
thick metal tracks bloodstained with rust
and rammed flush with spikes decades ago.
The stubby thistles slide their spines
into my bare toes regardless.

The rain starts,
drops the size of fists.
The specked asphalt expands until glossed
dark and drowning.
I need to pick up an old car from
some scruffy mechanics.

But I'd rather walk the tracks--
a Stand By Me moment--even
though the rest of it is city,
even though the rest is crowned by
rainspattered black-windowed buildings
and slick cars making fountains
behind them in the shiny streets
until the August heat sucks back up
its two inches of rain into those
selfsame clouds.

I want to follow these plotted railroads.
A cargo bum with slivers in his toes
from the shredded pine ties
that began coming apart slowly long ago,
polished locomotive steel propelled greedily across.

But it just leads back to the city.

I cross the five-lane road
and rush inside out of the rain
to pick up the key to my beaten car.

the tracks at pleasant grove

5 comments:

Amy Beatty said...

I tried to comment on this earlier but it wouldn't let me. You blow my mind baby. I love every word. I felt it all so clearly. You are a born writer xoxo

moonshinejunkyard said...

RAILROADS!!!! why is it pure magic? when will they bring back rail travel, and not just amtrac. everyone gets transported, and it is even okay that they travel city to city. trains make everything better. i love your poem. i love the disparity between your ratty old car and the majesty of the old, vanished train.

Papa Dan said...

And I love that picture Matt. It is almost a painting. Really a dynamic picture. Congratulations. Oh I and I love the writing too.

mattbeatty said...

Thanks Dad. Actually that's one of my very first attempts at an HDR photo--using some free software--so it's not entirely natural. Still came out cool though.

Emilee......♥ said...

heyyy, i love your writing, its AMAZING, I write poerty so you should check out ma blog? give me sometips, tell me if im anygood or not lmao :P
-emileejean♥