Cracked spine rests on yellow tile
Salt air drifts through turnstile
Flicker dies on platform clock
Tide pulls back from concrete dock
Wind reads lines the commuter wrote
Salt saves words the rain evades
Lamp swings slow on rusted chain
Dawn breaks cold on steel and grain
Midnight ledger pages worn
Tracks the shades of coming dawn
Ink remembers what is gone
Leather waits for morning
Pages held a keeper's log
Storm dates marked in carbon fog Latitude and longitude
Fixed the beam when light was young
Wind reads lines the commuter wrote
Salt saves words the rain evades
Lamp swings slow on rusted chain
Dawn breaks cold on steel and grain
Midnight ledger pages worn
Tracks the shades of coming dawn
Ink remembers what is gone
Leather waits for morning
Cover cracked by winter's teeth
Corners rounded soft beneath
Initials carved in days of war
Worn salt and fossil shore
Midnight ledger pages worn
Tracks the shades of coming dawn
Ink remembers what is gone
Leather waits for morning
Rat traces ink with whiskered nose
Trainless rails lie in repose
Echo taps the hollow bench
Dust settles on the trench
Midnight ledger pages worn
Tracks the shades of coming dawn
Ink remembers what is gone
Leather waits for morning
Morning pulls the platform shade
Notebook closes debt repaid
Keeper's hand though absent turns
One last page for slow returns
Midnight ledger pages worn
Tracks the shades of coming dawn
Ink remembers what is gone
Leather waits for morning
Leather waits for morning
Midnight ledger now is done