Rushing

Walkingthroughthekindofcoldthatfindsyouwhereveryouare
Andpermeatestheinsidesofyourears,turnstheminsideout
Yourerushing
Yourironlessfingertipsprotestagainsttheguststhatpush
Betweenthethreadofyourgloves,encouragedbyyourscurrymistaken
Foravoidance
Notavoidance,rush
Throughthekindofcoldthatdoesntcarethatyourtightbootswereexpensive
Thatthedescriptionpromisedtheywerewaterinvincible
Walkinginthecoldthathasevenheartlesscorporationspostingsignsthatsay
Becautious,fallingice
Singsthatcouldntstand,bestedbythewindthatswhispering
Yourenext,asyouglanceuptochecktheairaboveyourhead
Forshardsoffrozenhatred
Rushfurther
Intothemetrastation,shinylightspiercingthesombersoulyouswallowed
Andcheckingthesheduleforwhichtrackholdsyourdestiny,
Youseethewomanwhowontbelieveyou
Speak,Imastudent,roundtriptoWestChicago,
Asshereachesforyourplasticproofoftheminorstatusthatdoesntshow
Inyourstature,aura
Rushontothetracksfilledwithelectronicvoices
Mechanicallyechoingthelinesofthetrains
Yourushpastthestealbeaststhatwouldveslicedyouinhalfthedayhewasnt
Thereforyou
Tryingtoforgetandcrosspathswithtrack3
Thatknowsyouwellenoughtohateyou
Ontothecarfilledwithsuitscominghomefromworkorworkfromhome
Whereyourthoughtsareallowedtoflourish,screamregardless
Ofthesignthatsays
QuietCar,RushHourOnly
Foranhourofrushingnerves,rushingblood
Runningclocks,feelingsflood
Andyourcirculationthatwasntwellinthefirstplacestopsalltogether
Congealsandhemorrhages
Asifthebodywerestillrushingthroughtheglaciers
Throughthesnow,rushing
Rushingpastthewindandfallensigns
Intothestation,rushing

Rushingontothetracks
Andintothecar
Andoutofamind
Andforeveryrushingstep
Everythoughtisthateverystep
Bringshimonestepclosertome

Walking through the kind of cold that finds you wherever you are
And permeates the insides of your ears, turns them inside out
Youre rushing
The iron-less blood in your fingertips protest
Against the gusts that push between the thread of your gloves,
Encouraged by your scurry mistaken for avoidance
Not avoidance, rush
Through the kind of cold that doesnt care that your boots are tight and expensive
The description promising they were water invincible
And remember Summer
Remember August-colored legs sprinting toward the same destination
Ogilvie, the Metra
Racing bodies exchange breath
And he laughs, the length in his limbs challenging yours, considerably shorter
A chorus of panting determination pushing
To make the schedule
That he wouldnt mind if we missed
That I wouldnt mind if we missed
We didnt mind time spent from trains missed
Before the seasons shifted, rushed
The sharp wind exposes your slowing reticent pace as you reminisce and you
Rush
Through the kind of cold that has even heartless corporations posting signs that say
Be cautious, falling ice
Signs that couldnt stand, bested by the wind thats whispering
Youre next,
As you glance up to check the air above your head
For shards of frozen hatred
Rush further
Into the Metra station, shiny lights piercing the somber soul you swallowed
Check the schedule for which track holds your August chorus
Of laughs and breath
And running without time running out
Before Autumn leaves defenses fell to a terrain of tundra
Walk toward the woman who wont believe you
And speak, Im a student, round-trip to West Chicago,
As she reaches for your plastic proof of the minor status that doesnt show
In your stature, aura
Rush onto the tracks filled with electronic voices
Mechanically, icily echoing the lines of the trains
You rush past the steal beasts that wouldve sliced you in half
On the day of the equinox
On the day August stopped bleeding into September, clotted
The day his breath, his laugh wasnt there for you, the chorus ending
The day the warmth in his brown eyes, molten and flowing
Froze
Cross paths with track 3

That knows you well enough to hate you

The way he knows you well enough
Onto the car where your thoughts are allowed to flourish, scream
Regardless of the sign that labels
Quiet Car, Rush Hour Only
For an hour of rushing nerves, slowing blood, shivering
Running clocks, memories flood
And your blood that wouldnt circulate in the first place stops all together
Congeals and thickens
As if the body were still rushing through the glaciers
August forgotten
Through the snow, rushing
Rushing by the wind and fallen signs
Rushing past reflections of the past
Into the station, rushing
Rushing onto the tracks
And into the car
And out of a mind
And for every rushing step
Bring August one step closer
Molten eye contact one race nearer
Bring the melting of the ice, the warming of the water, air
Hearts
Bring the chorus a laugh, a limb
Orange air, one breath
Closer to me