It is February. From the tracks beyond the cemeterythe last train defies the dark, defies the dark
beyond the cemetery. It is February. Onto the tracksa body may fall, fall from the bridge
the bridge that springs over the tracks, the trackson which a body may span, horizontal
east to west or west to east, never north to southsouth to north. Horizontal.
Too late, too late to grind the brakes, the brakestoo late if a body breaks on the tracks.
The woman at the window sees the man on the bridgeto the man on the bridge the woman at the window cries Wait.
Spanning the tracks that the driver can seebut not a body spanning the tracks
there is no body spanning the tracks as he moves on,moves on defying the dark
beyond the cemetery. It is February. The rails are sharpthe night is clear, he is on time.
The driver’s on time. All is ordered in this dark. He’s taken advice.He can implement procedures. Procedures.
Vera climbs the stairs of the bridge, sees the man on the bridgehears the cry of the woman at the window but not the word. She is alone.
He cuts a swathe towards the tunnel. He is on timehe is a man who defies the dark
he is a man moving on, moving on through the nightthe night is ordered, he is ordered
the driver’s on time. He’s taken advice. He keeps his handhe stays his hand, he can implement…
The boy sleeping under the bridge hears slippers shuffling the bridgehears a woman’s cry. He doesn’t move. It could be a ploy.
Procedures. He knows procedures. He knows this track.He knows the exact, the exact point
to release, to release pressure. The driver’s taken advice.The air is clear. The rails are sharp. He is a man defying the dark.
The man on the bridge hears the train on the track, hears a voice calling, footstepsdragging. He turns. She is cardigan-ed not white-coated. Disguised.
It is February. The air is clear. They are beyond the cemetery.Beyond fear. The fear on the face of the man in the train of the man in the air.