Christmas Locomotive

Ran this on Radio Weblog, bring it back for this occassion. Happy Christmas.


[Assembled by dwarves]


[At left, wreathe by Jeanne; photo by Mike]


Opposite your chorus line of thought
A trembling train with convictions rides
In circles and clovers
And unravels the poked pathway
To find your feet

Ten track minutes away from the Christmas tree glow
That father digested
Where copper
through tourniquet currents
flows

To the chimney
where no one has been
To see the thin clank
of the opening

Just a panthering train
cross the swells of the carpet
Through oriental valleys
and their piled paisley sockets
Through skyscraper wrappings
the apple spanked harlotty papers
and things to return
to your feet

Flocking petitions like rotary blades
remind of a balking sacred day
when manger roasted hay and chimera
wave hanks at a Lionel train

--Jack Vaughan
Adapted from original; "Garage," 1967