Landscape with Grief Train
David Young

Such a huge locomotive（机车，火车头） , the grief train,
panting（喘气的） , ugly, shiny, and black,
but it has many cars to pull
and a very long distance to travel.

Miraculously¹（奇迹般地） , it needs no fuel,
having the one event, or many,
to keep it going for eternity²
—or however long you imagine.

Sometimes you see it at crossings.
You're headed somewhere else.
Perhaps you've been laughing a lot,
or just come from seeing a movie.

The great thing about it, of course,
is its steadiness（稳定） and drive. You forget it,
and still it is going to be out there,
snaking through mountain passes,

rushing all night next to white-flecked（有斑点的） rivers,
hooting³（喊叫，鸣响） its soundless whistle,
and sending on up toward the stars
its smoke, which is pungent⁴（辛辣的，苦痛的） and cold.