rabbit fled, best guess, toward home
fox & bear toward yellowstone [bad word]  north to the border towns
peacock swayed like a reed on the fence a while
(with a stalwart sense of style!)
as the policemen’s nets came down
word of the crash had spread fast and spread far
from clark’s fork to blackfoot reservoir
more grist for the malady mill

shepherd the southwest wind,
“railspikes ripped like the seam of a wineskin”
shepherd the northwest rain,
“brass hat slept at the helm of that woeful train…
ain’t it an awful shame!
and don’t it just break your heart to hear of so much pain?”

casey jones walked slow to the prison cell
his face held hard as a scallop shell

conductor: “well, i wish i wished you well,
but your last friend on earth now calls
from the silent side of the cemetery walls
your great cause to the moths and [bad word] ”
elephant: [fanning her ears with a calm in her eyes]
“it’s the laws of cause and effect that you criticize
but sir, criticize them you must”

[three miles more ‘til flagstaff
follow behind signs toward badger pass
wound like clocks around fretboards
carved out hands in our basswood body guitars -
borrowed guitars (borrowed hands!)
i’m clearly not as handsome or caring as what you seem to want,
but i’d gladly walk you home,
‘cause those streets can be dangerous]

shepherd the southwest wind,
“railspikes ripped like the seam of a wineskin”
shepherd the northwest rain,
“frog switch slipped and that reckless beast is to blame
ain’t it an awful shame!
and don’t it just break your heart to hear of so much pain?”