so here i am, moving forward
grey mornings bring progress
that's what they said
when Leland Stanford was condemning the Chinese
to slavery
for a railroad

i want that one thing
i want to hold it in my hand like the beating wings of a tiny bird,
or the fragility of a baby's trust
to have it, to say; this makes me worthy.

i'm jumping onto the box car
with a knapsack and a sandwich and my hat, hoping
to cross the country
and be okay at the other end.
here i am.