July 12 Bridgeport Campground At 1 A.M. After Two Days Above 104 Degrees

July 12

Bridgeport Campground At 1 A.M.

After Two Days Above 104 Degrees

Barreling through with its only good eye

open, the Burlington coal train

sounds close enough to split our two

man tent in two.

We have removed our rainfly

for the possible coolness

of one less layer,

and the first breeze of the trip begins to

work the ash leaves

into sounding something like rain,

but it is only wind

and leaves after all,

come to break the spell of stillness,

and the coal train

won't jump her rails

and with her cowcatcher

steal us and our tent poles

all the way to Omaha,

and the wind in the ash leaves

will continue, I think,

even after the Burlington

has delivered her coal,

even after the power plant has

delivered her gigawatts

and the thermostats across Nebraska

have been set at a cool 68 degrees,

and I will close my two good eyes,

dream an ash leaf for each lid,

and a breeze to brush them over my skin,

rain to steep,

filter down,

awaken my bright blue, my yellow

dreams.