Tie me to the track with my ear to the rail
But wait for the very last moment to save me
— the prophet jill sobule

—

you’re standing at the train station, but there’s no train.

you check your watch. sadly, it’s a garmin and it’s dead because you forgot to turn it off two days ago after your run. but you know time’s running out. you just know. some directions don’t require gps. 

so you wait. maybe a train will come; you never know. you drift back to the prophet guy clark’s words: “us kids put our ears to the rails to hear ’em pop.” but that would require bending over, and your knees hurt. so you hope.

you wait. and worry. and peer into the night. and wait some more.

and then.

as the last hint of sun fades over the horizon, a train unexpectedly coasts into the station. you’re saved. everything is going to be ok.

you climb in, settle back contentedly in the seat. you still have to figure out how you’re going to pay for the ticket, but the conductor won’t be making his rounds for hours. you can finally relax.

the train is warm. the sound of the wheels clattering on the track is hypnotic. everything is going to be ok after all. at last, you can sleep. you drift into a dream, a hallmark happy ending.

the train barrels into the darkness. you don’t see that up ahead, the bridge is out.

life is funny …