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The Sunday Poem: Jennifer Frank... Daylight Savings I.

Jennifer Frank’s poems have surfaced slowly but steadily throughout the years in journals and anthologies such as Kalliope, Phoebe, Harwood Anthology and Looking Back to Place, online, in galleries and on the occasional city bus. She lives in Albuquerque, NM, with her husband and son.

"Trains and time are two recurring themes in my work. The main image for this poem arrived when my reading about trains online led me to an article about the history of daylight savings."--JF

Daylight Savings I

In October, when daylight savings
occurs, trains across the country stop
dead in their tracks at 2:00 a.m., then wait
an hour to keep their published schedules.
The unsuspecting man, who has laid his sad
body across the tracks, says his final words
to the night owls and coyotes, and at last
closes his moist eyes to the stars. He can’t
believe the silence of the train as it stops
inches from his body, opens his eyes slowly
to its warmth. He waits for some reaction but gets
none. Just the scurry of a fox or some small
hungry creature unaware of the time
or what has been saved.

[Submissions always welcome. Send poem, bio, and pic to theditchrider@gmail.com]

Tags: Frank, Jennifer, daylight, poem, savings, time, trains, unsuspecting

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Comment by cathyray on July 19, 2009 at 6:39am: now that is irony! very enjoyable this morning. This poem gives me hope that daylight savings time has literally saved someone instead of just disorienting me & my little dog.

Comment by SweetCaroline on July 19, 2009 at 8:50am: Love Jennifer's poetry. I'd love to have a copy of the one she wrote for my daughter's wedding....hint hint..... :)

Comment by Ben Moffett on July 19, 2009 at 11:56am: Who says labor unions aren't worthwhile?

Comment by Edith Grove on July 20, 2009 at 3:36pm: Wonderful piece! The world needs more train poetry.

Comment by Margaret Randall on July 23, 2009 at 6:05am: I too love thinking and writing about time. And this connection between time and trains is wonderful. Taught me something I didn't know, and made me think about many things I do know but of which I need to be reminded. Terrific poem!