diesel lullabye

... noodling around.

---

sing for me, sing me tonight

the axles' hum, the gears that grind

at the turning of the light

lay you down. don't you cry.

give me now the addled rage

the futile hissing of the fires

burning in a cage

the dull echo of the tires

give me now a thousand years

the howling, plant-ly hosts

rising up along the gears

rolling on the backs of ghosts

now that fall has hit the ground

under the bright, high stars

the leaves are falling. lay me down

to the flashing hoods of cars

.. (xi).

lightning flashes

and they said, "God is laughing

         and beating his hand

         against the clouds"

and the crickets clack

         and they say, "the night

         sings, the dark hums"

and the wind blows

         and they say, "the trees

         dance, and the world walks

         with me--slings its arm

         around my shoulders"

then the smoke might

         as well be my friend

         might as well be

         my companion,

through the clacking 

night, under the blurring

of the stars

          might as well

          be my brother

          we watch

us and us only

as the lights dim

and the highway lays

          it's head on it's tail