I always lived on
the wrong side
of the tracks
although I didn’t know it then
the silver threads followed me
wherever
we moved
through
bullying
loneliness
broken hearts
the constant
was the rumble
of the train in the night
the haunting wail
of the horn
begging me to follow
The clic clac
of the wheels
Whispered promises
of a family tree I didn’t know:
Home
a place
where my skin
didn’t feel too tight
I’d curl up in a ball
eyes squeezed shut
Hoping
the sun wouldn’t rise
Praying
I could stay
forever
cradled in the womb
with the heartbeat of the tracks
lulling me
to sleep