The four notes, from low to high, played by the conductor on a trip across the states, will play across the thoughts of women and men, and those that sat among the seats of the rail cars, from beginning to end.
Their timing and their feelings are spread among us,waiting breakfast, dinner, or supper, initiating the feeling of the time-to-eat, among the brows and hats of those just settling in for the railroads ride.
The floor moved, the chairs wiggled, the whistle blew across bare lands, the windows showed the weather of the day, the temperature blew in and out of each car, as it rattled together down the track, letting the leakage of air move the sleeves and the pant legs to match the day.
Four bongs, deep, then higher, and higher and higher, signaling the feeling, of breakfast, lunch or dinner, to make the merry mild .
Ralph Peck
Photograph by Ralph Peck
“The Trains Used To Move With Us”
Trains Across Oklahoma
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