Speaking In Tongues
Scribbling In Voices
JR BLUES
By Dmitry Kovalenin
- On December 5, 19..., a collision of two trains occurred
at Tokyo Japanese Railroad Line. Two people died, over 90 were hospitalized.
Very puzzled, the JR officials said the possibility of such a case was
practically nil. The work on funding out anyone's guilt turned extremely
complicated...
Tied up in knots
on the bare strings of the backside-tracks
we are notes
our syncopations amputated
our chilled teeth ticking-n-chatt'ring
to the rhythm of the 'hi-hi' hieroglyphs marching
on the digital time-table screen.
The Switchman,
clean-shaven for the rest of his life
all fresh from his shoelaces to his contact lenses
sets up proper chords on the railroad ties
calling out the spirit of Semaphore,
his fingers professionally casual.
But the speed is increasing
and, exhausted down to his bones
he excuses himself, after all,
for just four-and-a-half seconds
and when he's taking us out of the vending machine
just like a peaceful Coca-Cola can —
we are already hissing and foaming
ready to be consumed for a chance
to mix that green with the red
and in one convulsive gasp of the breaks
to obtain the unknown
Upbeat.
Bullet train Tokyo — Kanazawa,
December 19...