Rust In Peace

Engines rusted in deep deep sleep
Through the vines we see at last
Decades exposed have not been
Gentle
Moss and ivy cover the grief.

Rains come in and dilapidate
The leaning hulks, the tired frames
Empty windows staring out
A hollow voice we could hear sighing
If we understood the language.

So much time has passed, and so little was
Done to stem the tide
The circus is gone, the war is done
We rode the carousel horses out of town
Feeding them sawdust and apple cores.

Don't you know the songs anymore
We recited them by heart long ago
Childhood treasures found amid the lilacs
Have you forgotten the melody?

Lumberjacks once ruled this place
From Mackinaw City to Alpine, WA...
Now we see their ghosts looking back
From faded tintype photographs.

Let's find those engines, dearest darling
Sunken in forest glades, sleeping quietly
On second thought, perhaps we shouldn't
Disturb them
As they lay dreaming of Autumn.