Better World
I envision no romantic, grease-splattered engineer
Overseeing the direction of my particular train.
It just follows the course of the tracks laid down
Within the fractal flow of nature’s symmetry.
It curiously transports me from one sad affair to another,
Depending on which Chiquita happens to be turning my head.
My destination has always been inclined to speculation.
I have lived one singular life, but died many lonely deaths along the way.
My travels through this landscape of consciousness and self-awareness
Have often brought me to untimely terminals, via various means of derailment.
There have been lethal infections, and numerous fatal diseases,
An airplane and a helicopter crash, a murder, a head-on collision,
A tragic skydiving mishap, many bad storms at sea,
A life sentence in a Kenyan prison, overdoses from unwise decisions.
I’ve driven off a cliff at dawn and had a cardiac arrest.
But after each deadly incident, I somehow awoke to a better world.
Wrought iron spikes hammered to a hard-driven finish
Hold the rails in place until that one comes loose on the curve.
When my train gets derailed, I just begin again, and yet again,
Recycling intentions, re-establishing severed connections.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that the final death I'll face
Will only involve some little discomfort, perhaps just a deep, sweet ache.
I can lay to rest whatever fears my unfinished dreams may embrace,
And look forward to greeting a better world when next I awake.
As someone once said, you’ll not appreciate the full extent
Of life’s train wreck till you get far enough away from it.
Then you can take in the whole awe-inspiring picture and say,
Holy ghost and good goddam, that was surely one memorable trip.
Copyright © Michael Kalavik | Year Posted 2022
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