It takes a train to see America by Debasis Mukhopadhyay

What a kooky ride

The fire-roasted red peppers yellow squash & carrots are still lapping the edge of your rack

Served with loaded mashed potatoes

You said you always enjoy baby back ribs

The tender lean pork loin meat glazed in bold dark sauce humbly falls off the bones

Yesterday it was seafood jambalaya with rice pilaf & salad

And the day before pan roasted wild sockeye salmon with fries

It has been a whale of a time

I can see how easily you could coast into the scenic dreams

For these three days and three nights

Your train is soon going to pull into your last stop

But before you sign the guest book

Jonas liked it here

Take a look at yourself from behind the window

Upon which an eclipse of moths are dissipating

Since the train left the foggy Bay

Your knife looks remembering rust

Your fork looks shining into blood

Maybe you are taking too much time to bring yourself to them

Huddled between your hands they look so displaced

They do not know you know when your heart beats

Unwinding the sweet America without stopping to wind the bones

The soda can is left undrunk and perspiring

Since the time the train crossed

From Nevada into Utah

And then rolled through the canyons of Colorado

The ice cubes keep waning in your hyper dreamy glass

When treated to the view of a setting sun

That stretches down from the desert cliffs

And tumbles directly into

What you ordered for lunch

With yellowed teeth a couple of hours ago

And a couple of hours ago the clock was reset

To isolate the runoff moments of yearns you might think they had ever been

During the time the steelhead train traveled from coast to coast

Leaving you with nothing to do but

Admire the view of your hollowed out dreams in free fall

And take a glimpse into the soul of remains and moorings

The train is now pulling into New York Penn station

Time to cut loose from America

America is not the world on earth

You can now remain tight in life

Dreams will not come again