I’ve found

that at this point in the evening

my train of thought

tends to be an empty passenger locomotive

dangerously  low on  fuel,

more inclined than not

to derail  under a slight breeze,

and running  along rusted-out tracks

held together

with duct tape and a prayer.

The  engineer is passed out cold

and  the conductor’s under the delusion

that he is, in fact,

an all-powerful lawn flamingo.

As such, whatever it was that I was going to say

has  vanished in a cloud

of steam,  smoke, and rent  plastic

only to be replaced

by  that episode of Boy Meets World

with three of the Monkees

and the sudden overwhelming  need

to remember the lyrics

to Daydream Believer.

————

Eirik Gumeny is  a professional stunt driver,  handy with a flashlight,  and has  been referred to on no fewer than three occasions  as the Devourer of Worlds.