I.
The gentleman looked out the window,
eager to see the change in the Virginia countryside
with the Civil War over and the Union once more.
He occasionally looked down at his newspaper
to learn the latest developments in Washington
and gossip among the powerful and elite.
His wife would sometimes get his attention
and he would respond by speaking to her,
shaking or nodding his head.
All the while the choo choo kept blowing its whistle and belching its smoke
chugging its way south,
clickety-clacking down the tracks.
II.
Nearly 100 years later, a gentleman in a suit
asked another man in a pin-striped uniform,
“What’s your wife’s name, and what’s she like?”
The baseball player known as Choo Choo responded,
“Her name is Mrs. Coleman — and she likes me, Bub.”
III.
The gentleman looked out the window,
staring blankly at the old Virginia towns and landscape
after another contentious week in our United States.
He occasionally looked down at his phone
to read the latest newsfeed and tweets
and gossip among the powerful and elite.
His girlfriend would sometimes get his attention
and he would respond by speaking to her,
shaking or nodding his head.
All the while the choo choo kept blowing its whistle and drinking its diesel
chugging its way south,
clickety-clacking down the tracks.
copyright 2018, Charles A. Bruns
No comments:
Post a Comment