\nChorus and ballyhoo tonight, a mob of drinkers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
swirls\nalong the train platform, \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and\nI\u2019m one of them, loving the night<\/p>\n\n\n\n
while\ngetting ready to serve morning with a hangover<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s\nfuture me, though, in the present,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m\nsoaked inside and ready for the hipsterstan<\/p>\n\n\n\n
that\nawaits over the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is it over? We can go under too, it\u2019s all still beautiful<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWe break sugar packets together,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the\nfather and the son and me, a trinity<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the\ndining car shifts left and we adjust<\/p>\n\n\n\n
while\nlooking out at the Cascades<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\ngo through a tunnel and the son<\/p>\n\n\n\n
is\nexcited, is this it, the 8 miles<\/p>\n\n\n\n
of\ndarkness he read about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nlongest rail tunnel in North America.?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s\njust a regular line that goes<\/p>\n\n\n\n
through\none of the mountains,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
he\nsighs, we eat, I drink my coffee,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
we\ntalk about where we come from<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\ntell them I\u2019m from Brooklyn,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
they\ntell me they\u2019re from Janesville, WI<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\ndon\u2019t bring up politics<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and\nthey keep the subject away<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\ntalk about the orchards around us, \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the\nred apples and green pears, \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
everything\nlooks plump and ripe<\/p>\n\n\n\n
hanging\non the verdant branches<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More\ncoffee comes and we rip open<\/p>\n\n\n\n
more\ncreamers and more sugar packets,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
this\nis how it will be, some day,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
this\nis how it must be, if we\u2019ll go on<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sitting\nat the table together,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
breaking\nsugar packets in silence,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and\nyet enjoying a true peace, everyone<\/p>\n\n\n\n
able\nto get a seat without reservations<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again,\nthe boy thinks we\u2019re entering<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the\nCascades Tunnel, he\u2019s excited,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019d\nrather we go through flames,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
so\nI can and see where I\u2019m heading<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ben Nardolilli currently lives in New York City. His work has appeared in Perigee Magazine, Red Fez, Danse Macabre, The 22 Magazine, Quail Bell Magazine, Elimae, The Northampton Review, Local Train Magazine, SLEET MAGAZINE, The Minetta Review, <\/em>and Yes Poetry<\/em>. He blogs at mirrorsponge.blogspot.com<\/a> and is trying to publish a novel. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Well Spent Chorus and ballyhoo tonight, a mob of drinkers swirls along the train platform, and I\u2019m one of them, loving the night while getting ready to serve morning with a hangover That\u2019s future me, though, in the present, I\u2019m soaked inside and ready for the hipsterstan that awaits over the river. Is it over? … <\/p>\n