Ed Roberson

about what’s this

That railroad man from the song
where his head was laid

’neath the drivin’ wheel
’n his body never was found

stood up, or rather, bodiless,
seemed to levitate

with the driving wheel balanced
on the top of his head like a hat, a plate—

“What’s this all about?” I asked.

—or an aureole, a glory.
“What if we need a new technology for glory?” he said, “—not the old
smoking weeds and blood
sacrifice…and hearing voices in them. More sense

than I make.”about what’s this
all about. Actually working.