People will try and tell you
that travel is good for the soul
that the changing of places
the arriving and the leaving
gives you a greater understanding
of the world and yourself and everything
and maybe this is so
but nowadays it just
makes me think of endings
and broken things
see right now I’m on the airport train
and I’m seeing all the rows of little houses
on the hills outside the city
and the last time I saw these hills
and these houses
and the sky just like this
she clung to my arm and said
“It’s pretty,”
and I nodded
because it was
see this is the train
that brought her to me
and this is the train
that took her away
and right now all I can see
is her look of reproach
because I couldn’t find it in me
to go with her
or ask her to stay
and all I can see
are her eyes forever damning me
for letting her go
and I guess when most people think of travel
they think of freedom
or maybe escape
and me I look up at all the planes
arriving and leaving
taking people to other people
and for the life of me
I just can’t imagine it
coming to any good.
–William Taylor Jr.