We were on a trip to San Antonio, Texas via an Amark train. I remember the trip paralleling the Mississippi River and seeing the homeowners that put their junk stuff, out of sight behind their garages, in clear view of the train passengers. The trip was wonderful, even after I went to the bathroom and pushed the wrong button. Instead of flushing the toilet, the shower came on and I left the bathroom dripping wet with my clothes on. My wife stood there and just howled with laughter, looking at the water drip from my nose onto the floor below.

Passage Overland  2015-41

The clickity-clack on rails so thin

A lulling sound to ears so round.

Fleeting through the countryside.

 

The underbelly of the land – beside

Backyard garbage on vivid display

Throwaways of peoples being passed.

 

Too, scenic wonders of hills and dells

Rivers, bayous, so very grand,

All exposed to travelers eyes.

 

Speeding by with detached care

A journey made from here to there

An echo of the past, now in the air.

Den Betts