In sealed box cars travel names across the land, and how far they will travel so, and will they ever get out, don't ask, I won't say, I don't know. The name Nathan strikes fist against wall, the name Isaac, demented, sings, the name Sarah calls out for water for the name Aaron that's dying of thirst. Don't jump while it's moving, name David. You're a name that dooms to defeat, given to no one, and homeless, too heavy to bear in this land. Let your son have a Slavic name, for here they count hairs on the head, for here they tell good from evil by names and by eyelids' shape. Don't jump while it's moving. Your son will be Lech. Don't jump while it's moving. Not time yet. Don't jump. The night echoes like laughter mocking clatter of wheels upon tracks. A cloud made of people moved over the land, a big cloud gives a small rain, one tear, a small rain-one tear, a dry season. Tracks lead off into black forest. Cor-rect, cor-rect clicks the wheel. Gladeless forest. Cor-rect, cor-rect. Through the forest a convoy of clamors. Cor-rect, cor-rect. Awakened in the night I hear cor-rect, cor-rect, crash of silence on silence | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ON THE DEATH OF MRS. (NOW LADY) THROCKMORTON'S BULLFINCH by WILLIAM COWPER BEFORE ACTION by WILLIAM NOEL HODGSON I HEARD YOUR SOLEMN-SWEET PIPES by WALT WHITMAN THEN AND NOW by LOUISA SARAH BEVINGTON IT'S HARD TO SAY by BERTON BRALEY MAY'S LOVE by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING THE MOTHER'S PRAYER by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING PACCHIAROTTO AND HOW HE WORKED IN DISTEMPER by ROBERT BROWNING |