The one true crazy thing

A poem about trains & love

This poem was inspired by Geoff Olsen’s Substack on musical trains of thought and the nature of power.

Sunday Songbook: Power

I see my poem as a kind of Coda, if you like. Here it is and I hope that it speaks to you.

Photo by Roland Lösslein on Unsplash

Listen

There’s a

            train whistling through the winding

             Tunnels of my brain

It’s fast and loud and knows

The destination is consternation

Me

I’m yearning for romantic journeys to

Timbuctoo

Rangoon and the Moon

Maybe not in that order

But departing soon

I need to get away from this sad state

To that joyful place beyond

The borders

Of my mind

We used to call it love

Lately curdled into hate

Stop that train of thought

Change trains

And you will be well

the Dr of the mind is sure

that I can drop my chains

that thinking makes it so

Me

I have those

runaway feelings

that have jumped the track of reason

completely out of season &

I can’t put them back

Where they belong

What is wrong

Dr tell me what is wrong

Me

I dream of a place beyond words

Beyond the safety

fence of my mind

in another place and time

If I could only find it

this gift from generous gods

I would bring offerings

Of pears and pearls and

Ripe pomegranate seeds

Floating in pure water from a secret spring

Here I could stop and breathe in

slowly coming back

To life

And then I could sing

Oh yes, sing!

Because that love train is

Hurtling down the track

At the crack of my brain

Anyone can jump aboard

You too can ride &

pawn your priceless rings

For the one true crazy thing

The one true crazy thing

The one true crazy thing