the snow came drilling down nand it drove me from the riverside nrunning ragged towards the train yard nto catch a freighter home. nmy fingers felt frost nthe icy wind drew water from my eyes nthe rails were slick with winter nthe cold clawed at my bones. nnmy words came out in clouds nas I called to a brakeman ndo any trains go east? I said nhe pointed to the sky. nmy son, he said, just look up there nthe clouds look the same everywhere nand they’ll follow you anywhere nthat you can hop a train. nnso I will point you east, my son nbut your journey will not be done nwhen you return to the city nthat you call your home. ni know that you’re a wandering nand looking for the words to sing nbut the melody of liberty nis written in your bones. nnthe man’s words echoed in my head ni followed where his finger led nclimbed into an empty boxcar nslammed the door against the cold. nthe wind whipped through the creaking boards nand sang a song without no words nbut soon above its moans i heard na voice clear and strong. nnno i was not alone at all nsitting there against the wall na girl with eyes of emerald flame nand a traveler’s well-worn hands. ncome here, she said, and sit by me nwe are one and the same, you see? nand please don’t say a word nbecause i already understand. nnnaway! away! nwhere has she gone? nanother train today ntomorrow in another drifter’s song. nnthe freight train it thundered on nas time marched into the dawn nher eyes told me her stories nand her lips told me the rest. nour dreams developed undefined namidst our bodies intertwined nas the icy world outside nmelted into memory. nnit was just as cold back east nwhen i got off of the train ni held her close and asked her nif we would ever meet again nshe was lookin’ o’er my shoulder nat something far away nher voice came from somewhere distant nas she said, ‘on another train someday.’ nna love affair is always nfar shorter than the memory nand as i walked away from her nthe snow it turned to rain ni looked up to the sky nas i headed for the interstate nthe clouds of course had followed me nand they looked just the same. nnlong years i have waited ngoing often to the train-tracks nbut the memories are fading nand i never once saw her again. nbut let no one say that love is a fairytale nthere’s warmth in a boxcar nor a letter from a friend. nbelieve me for i have seen nthe borders of humanity nthe fires of our sanity nwill burn our long past the end. nnaway! away! nwhere have i gone? nanother train today ntomorrow in another drifter’s song ntomorrow in another drifter’s song. n