Journey Towards A Storm Poem by Rory Hudson

I.

daydreaming on the train
i am awakened
at the next station

my book has fallen
from my hands -
how foolish
to read such nonsense!

….Birds wheeling in the sky.

II.

three women chatting
about their children
have failed to notice
my unkempt hair

brushing it back
i hear one of them say,
“he’s good at maths”

….Clouds moving in from the west.

III.

traffic on the highway
parallel to the train
caught in another snarl

i catch myself sighing -
is it really like this?
but nobody knows

….Wind rustles leaves of the trees.

IV.

suburban gardens
too neat for nature
but weeds are growing

the ticket inspector
knows his job
knows who to look for

….The sky darkening.

V.

groups of children
on their way to school
alight here
their faces fresh
their skin well scrubbed

no more of this foolishness
my stop is next
i must be ready
to disembark
through a crush of passengers

….A hard rain is falling
from a black sky.