Friday, January 18, 2008

Fellow Traveler



Do you see it in this photograph
awareness of approaching doom?
Do you see it in his eyes that look ahead:
the no-return journey on a no-ticket train
one of so many travelers on that trip.
So many who left less than this
this photograph
these eyes that look ahead.

Now held in a grandson’s aging hand
traveler, you still look ahead
and warn us with your eyes:
never, never turn your back
when smoke is rising from
the smokestack of a no-ticket train.
Whoever’s on that train is
your sister, your brother
and you will travel with them
you are traveling with them
traveling in the smoke of a no-ticket train
in the smoke from a giant oven fed with bones.

Image: photo of a Holocaust victim from BBC World News

8 comments:

Tumblewords: said...

Profound. Provocative. Poignant. Powerful reminder that we truly are all on the train.

rebecca said...

Excellent.

Chris said...

Very, very powerful!!

Becca said...

A chilling poem, with a very profound truth for the ages.

Well done!

Linda Jacobs said...

A chilling, sober poem! I love that "no-ticket train" image!

GreenishLady said...

That is so powerful. Truly powerful.

Marie said...

I love visiting you...You have an interesting, new way of looking at things and I always leave intrigued and thought provoked. You are a powerful poet...

SweetTalkingGuy.. said...

Phew, a no-ticket train but they certainly had to pay.

Lest we forget!