You see the train wreck before the train wreck sees itself.

She collapsed into a hospital room and left me reeling

with a stranger's heart to imprint under my sleeve.

A heart I never knew, only felt broken waves of pain from.

I felt obligated to hold responsibility in my hands,

whisper sorry in its feathered dove ears.

And I swore off trains, pledged

a lonely life of walking

but you see new locomotive headlights and an open boxcar

and you can't help but jump back on,

Potential derailings be damned.