PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

Underground I wait

a smell of bleach and hot dogs mixes in the air

Lights overhead brighter than the sun

Walls white with a blue stripe at the top

Floors with yellow bumpy edges, screaming STAND BACK!

as a C train comes in behind me, scrapping said wall

brakes squealing as stainless steel comes to a screeching halt

doors open, releasing a sea of people toward the stairs

while I count my blessings that I don't take that train anymore



So, I wait near the express track

And I hear a noise in the distance

a steadily increasing vibration in the rails

as a mysterious wind from the tunnel slowly turns into a large gust

headlights become brighter

as my hair slowly begins to move fly off with that wind

bring on the noise

bring on that big gust

WHOOSH!



I step in and I take my seat

right near the window

as we move away from the station, into the darkness

only illuminated by the same light bulbs you find in your kitchen

lights turning into a blur

and I realize that I am now a part of the same gust

as we pass that same C train, leaving it in it's stainless steel dust

lights flickering as the train rocks back and forth



We meet two people on the way, Euclid and Grant

Reincarnated into avenues and streets respectively

and then, sunlight!

as we stop at a few more stations before making the turn towards the civilization away from civilization

The Rockaways



Aaah Jamaica Bay.

Right after JFK

Watching the planes take off it looks as if the train is racing that big 757 to the end of the runway

but of course, the plane always wins

and then it flies away



Sunlight reflecting off of the water below

beach in the distance

patches of white and green scream, HEY! I'm over here now!



And off into the sunset this train goes

Stopping at that really Broad Channel to give people a chance to go to Rock Away in that Park followed by a few more stops along the way

As the stainless steal glimmers just as brightly as the water out yonder

parallel to the tracks

and before you know it

the speaker blares one last time

"THIS IS MOTT AVENUE, FAR ROCKAWAY. LAST STOP ON THIS TRAIN"

as you read this and think, is this what he meant when he was talking about Mott and the Rockaways?

all to do is all over again another day



Until then, it's back up to Manhattan

Get the line up

As the operator's radio says

"Apple train on 2 track, call into tower with your call letters"

Doors close

Double-shot from the C/R and were off again

Up to 207

A few stops short of heaven

But, considering that the Cloisters isn't too far away, it's pretty damn close

And so goes another day on the A

with the rollsign flashing Far Rockaway VIA JFK