Train Wreck

Rails, frostbrittle,

snap

on the mountain, in the swamp, on right of way through wheat

fields,

on the roadbed circulating among tenements

drop

their confident burdens down a chute of fear,

flip

engines and enginemen into trash of non-arrival,

scrap

by fractioned inch family reunion, promotion, factory empire,

conspiracy of two or thousands,

stop

the going men consider their personal achievement and pre-

rogative,

whip

with midnight flail of cars and lash of steam wide pride of tyrant

travelers.

Brittle rails

break at one flaw,

one mortal chip.