THE ESSENCE OF YOU

   THE ESSENCE OF YOU      BY TIM WILLIAMS AUGUST 2014

I AM USUALLY AWAKE THESE DAYS
BY AROUND 5.30 IN THE MORNING,
AWAKENED BY A JAPANESE BULLET TRAIN
THOUGHTS FLASHING THROUGH MY HEAD
NOT STOPPING TO PICK UP PASSENGERS
OR FOR ANY TO ALITE.

IT'S LIKE STANDING ON THE PLATFORMS EDGE
AND THE TRAINS FLY THROUGH GOING IN
BOTH DIRECTIONS, JUST FLASHING BY
LEAVING ME WITH THE ESSENCE OF
THE SPEEDING LIT UP CARRIAGES
AND THE MEAREST GLIMPES OF FACES

THESE CARRIAGES ARE FILLED TO CAPACITY
WITH MY THOUGHTS, MEMORIES, POEMS AND SONGS
BUT FILLED MOST OF ALL WITH YOU, MY FRIENDS
AND FAMILY PEOPLE WHO I HAVE MET OR WORKED WITH
OR SIMPLY FLEETINGLY TOUCHED MY LIFE, JUST
BRUSHING THROUGH IT LIKE A SUMMER BREEZE.

SOME ARE WARM AND TENDER, OTHERS LIKE
A HURRICANE, SOME AS HOT AS SUMMER SUN,
OTHERS AS COLD AS THE COLDEST WINTER'S DAY,
SO IF YOU ARE ON ONE OF THESE TRAINS, PLEASE
GIVE ME A WAVE, OR BETTER STILL STOP THE TRAIN,
GET OFF AND GIVE ME A HUG, BECAUSE I SEEM TO NEED A LOT OF HUGS THESE DAYS.