There's a whistle blast
on the wings
of a guitar string

followed

by a mountain of mirth
joy and a little dirt
under our nails

as we ride the rails
you and I with an occasional dance
to distract us

from the cup of joe and fact
that we are flying
by the seat of our pants

Press that button
pull that cord
plug it in over there

and see that red signal light
blinking
I need your help

maybe
could you check
for an alternate spelling

or try dialing
that number again
I am sure it's right

that's the number
he gave me
please sir/ma'am

I am desperate
so very desperate
to make a connection

On top of the world
I am

well If not the world
at least the roof

right now it's sunny
but there's a storm coming

the clouds are gray
and the wind's picking up

stirring the ground
and blowing me

every which way

Open
with a red-orange sunrise

then
crack that sunrise like an egg

and let the yoke and white slop
into a mixing bowl

question
do we then beat that egg

scramble it
or do we fry it or

maybe poach
perhaps

we just leave that broken sunrise
in the bowl on the counter

someone else's gift
or curse

Leather
wrinkled with age

but trusty

case in point
without the fluff

we are talking about a grip
that's been through it all

seen it all
and stood the test of time

A stray thought
in the day
enlarged

by night

and now you are deep
dreaming
about fair weather

and a place
you've never been

Kansas City

it lingers
it dangles
like a shoelace

never tied
or unfinished
like a *** only

half thrown

Meat sliced
by a stainless steel blade
and by the pound

prime
and choice

back then
cuts were cheap
but such

as life