A Sad Moaning Voice

The Poughkeepsie train station is still here.  This is probably a WPA initiative that got a lot of fellas working once upon a time.  I’m sitting in a warm waiting room, waiting for the train to roll up and let people board.  I can remember standing in here, looking off down at the tracks when I was seventeen.  I was here with a number of classmates and it felt like the world led out from the tracks.  The world led down to the “city”.  I was reading about the Chinese tourists these days who are the second largest group visiting NYC, (second only to Britain. That won’t last) and they were complaining that the city didn’t seem very big.  Times change, forever.

Now I’m down on the train.  I’ll say this for Metro North, the heat works.  I’m got a window seat to enjoy the view.  I do this by habit.  It’s pitch black out.  Perhaps I’ll see some lights on the river and it will be atmospheric.  I’m leaning up against the wall and it is heated.  There are a thousand little holes that run along the slanted surface of the sill beneath the window, radiating heat.  The thaw is complete for everywhere save my toes.  I’m almost ready to take my coat off.

We just rolled up to New Hamburg station, which is looking pretty desolate this evening.  If I’m not mistaken there wasn’t a single solitary soul sanding here on the platform.  A Spanish voice coming from some passenger, has gotten me to put my headphones on.  She has a sad, moaning voice.  She’s complaining to someone.  There is nothing redeeming about this voice.  She has picked up the conversation again and she is spreading like molasses effulgence over the music in my ear.   I need to turn it up, or find something more commanding.

We’ve arrived at Croton Harmon the logical mid point.  I took a quick catnap before heading down but I’m still exhausted.  My body is craving the deep sleep that I won’t eve obtain on a one-hour Metro North ride.  I dream, for no reason I can discern about a haircut.  This I know when we slowly approach Grand Central and the announcement has been made for the last stop.