Hank Williams & the Ghost Train – Ryk McIntyre

The train whistle in the distance is my word for loneliness,
a whisper in the wilderness, a ghost that never rests.
But here I am, in this bed alone,
so who am I to judge?
As if I could ever sound that sad.
As if I could articulate that much.

On the good days I remember the velocity of her smile.
That's something of a disadvantage, this deep in denial.
I pull back on the emotional brakes, but I'm broken-down and broke.
I'm not so lonesome I could cry,
but I suppose that I can hope.
 

Three Poems – Ryk McIntyre

photo by Martin Rietze

 

Accelerants

The night we became a tangle, surrounding ourselves
in the body push and all the wet permissions of ignition,
we set ourselves on fire. This wasn't a problem until
we started to get dressed and were both smouldering

we looked so good. We set ourselves up against the night,
our car comet; smoking at all the stop signs. That one spot
just behind and below your ear, how I can't stop kissing
you right there, this crossroads. Other drivers fuming

for activity. And when we let loose, our shoes all fluid
later on a dance floor made of sharp volcano sounds.  
We told the bouncers that gravity kept getting too close,
and told the other dancers how we warmed the place

up for them. Then we ran out into the dry grass night,
the grease-fire night; a soft explosion punctuating night
again and one more time, oh my God, we are arclight
so much we just left the full moon exhausted by dawn.

We are combustible bodies, we are fuzzy yawns, open
grins. We are what is leftover of night. After ignition,
after fire, after hush, we are still warm to the touch-
woodsmoke, love sweat, both, cooling in the night air.



13 Affirmations For Negative People

1. I am Creative in all areas of my life... this includes lying right?

2. I am ready to receive all Life has to give. I mean it... I have a gun.

3. I forgive my past. If it could just tell me where it is currently hiding, 
   I'd like to "forgive" it... personally...