Night Passage by Charles Thielman

Night Passage
by
Charles Thielman

Storm mallets on a flat roof wake me

into a surprise of being.

Outside this undraped window, thousands

of raindrops wind-blown orange through streetlight

become streams braided from gutters to corner pools.

Lone freight train rolling over creosote ties,

an engineer horns his way through the liquid dark.

Hungry to see his aging face in a dawn lit mirror

he palms a rain-soaked cloth brow to chin.

Storm drums his iron hut, face led

by a bright lamp on wet tracks,

this heavy rain waxed red and white

by the crossing gates and marquees of small towns.

Wet antlers between blue spruce,

the quick smoldered gleams of animal eyes

reflect passage.

© by Charles Thielman.
Used with the author’s permission.

Charles Thielman was born and raised in Charleston, SC, then moved to Chicago, where he was educated “at red-bricked universities and on city streets.” He has worked as a counselor, city bus driver, truck driver, warehouse manager and enthused bookstore clerk. Today, Charles lives in Santa Maria, CA. Married on a Kauai beach in 2011, and a loving grandfather for five free spirits, he currently works as a poet, artiste and shareholder in an independent bookstore’s collective.

transitions:
I love the 'dots' of color/images as he rolls through the dark night; great poem. Judy
Posted 10/12/2013 11:23 AM

Jo:
A beautiful poem Charles. A sensory ride as Donna said. Thank you.
Posted 10/11/2013 10:06 PM

Donna Pflueger:
Incredible poem, Charles. A sensory ride that inspired me. Thank you.
Posted 10/11/2013 02:58 PM

Dorcas:
The night is not so friendly with its images, though beautiful they be.
Posted 10/11/2013 09:19 AM

CamilleBalla:
Great images take us along through the night passage. I especially like "Storm drums his iron hut..."
Posted 10/11/2013 09:12 AM

KevinArnold:
The form morphs before our eyes.
Posted 10/11/2013 09:11 AM

paradea:
This is lovely! Fabulous feeling and imagery telling a story!
Posted 10/11/2013 08:27 AM

jeanie:
beautiful! takes me there.
Posted 10/11/2013 08:22 AM

twinkscat:
Cool! Reminds me of "City of New Orleans"...
Posted 10/11/2013 08:12 AM

dotief@comcast.net:
Fabulous imagery!
Posted 10/11/2013 08:07 AM

paula:
fabulous description!
Posted 10/11/2013 07:06 AM

Eiken:
Wonderful imagery, exciting to read :)
Posted 10/11/2013 05:07 AM

r1manchester:
charles....definitely good work!
Posted 10/11/2013 04:16 AM

Jean D:
That's alot of wonderful descriptions in so short a span of space. I felt rain-soaked by the time I finished reading this great poem. Jean D.
Posted 10/11/2013 04:15 AM

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