Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, FROM THE TRAIN WINDOW GOING AND COMING, by CLARENCE MAJOR


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

FROM THE TRAIN WINDOW GOING AND COMING, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: I ride backwards to see what I'm missing
Subject(s): Railroads


From the train window
coming here, I saw the Autostrada
stretching alongside tracks,
cars racing us, saw the names,
hip to all the games on signs --
Montellago, Scorze, Piombino.
In the countryside cracked my side
at the sign on a farmhouse --
said Spend Summer Here, pale pink,
paler green. Lean and mean boys
hawking at the train speeding
toward Venice. In Venice
we push our way toward St. Mark's
caught up in the remarks
and shuffle of tourists,
hip to nothing
but the red scarf
leading them. Good
at crossing bridges,
skipping steps, we were out of step.
Called for help and got none.
Nuns in rows in the square.
Are they square, anywhere?
We played each other nights
like stringed instruments,
through the narrow streets,
walking in front of our own
long shadows, bright even at dusk.


Used with the permission of Copper Canyon Press, P.O. Box 271, Port Townsend, WA
98368-0271, www.cc.press.org




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