Bellingham Coal Train
I hear the cry
deep at night
after 3 A.M.
when I can’t sleep
they roll that coal
in open car
after car
right through town
further upshore
to haul it away
to China
It must be the debt
for all our war
to have to dig
our own heart
out like that
How else can
the years of war
be accounted for
how else could we
collapse so far
every bullet, every filthy
hand to be greased
from here to there
That sound
brings up questions
how much is left
how much more
can be hollowed out
where is it from
how far do the tracks go
who are we fooling
these trains
tugging at
black veins
Yes, that’s right
think of vampires
running dark at night
but also in the daytime
people will stop
drop their lives
to watch it
rumble through
their neighborhoods
until it’s gone
an eerie quiet
left after thunder
I’ve heard
people who live
close to the tracks
even with windows
closed tight
they still find
soot on the sills
on the cloth curtains
on their furniture
flitting in the air
We must be
deep in debt
I’m afraid
we must be
miles in the red
digging down
in pockets
finding no more
spare change
coming up with coal
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