i.

Later the sound of the train

Til trucks, jets, and mordant discordant
Electromechanical cacophony in our
Consciousness seemed to triumph

The sunnyland train was the blues
And the train became
Sunnyland's name

Sunnyland was the train
Frisco was the line

The white man give him his name
In a memphis hotel
Past cherry and pine
When he sang the sunnyland blues

In that memphis hotel
Room 253
The memphis jug band and blind boy fuller
Before him walked out
With blue whiskey money to burn
And he went in to sing about
This sunnyland train that
Would go eversofast and set papers and pop
Bottles flying in the wind

Wouldnt stop for a baby, mother or mule

A voice said

Hush
Children
I thought

I heard
That
Low down
Sunnyland
Whistle
Blow.

The white man give him his name
In the memphis hotel
Where he had to put his head
Up singing in like a gramophone
And
Sunnyland come down
A two-lane road
Up from the country
Heart full of soul
When even the century
Was nothing
Nothing but a child

Heard the trains
The i.c.
The mudline
The katy
The santa fe

Saw the paths cut up for the railroad
Rightaway
Heard the whistle of industry
Cold wind and rain.