North Star II

Chicago. New York. St. Louis.

And all destinations

North—

Lawrence poured the tens of

Thousands in red,

Green, and yellow paints

Mixed and matched

Like their patched coats

And runover shoes

And cardboard suitcases.

They boarded:

The Illinois Central, Baltimore and Ohio, and Chesapeake

Bound for that Promised Land.

Lawrence painted

Their sorrow songs

And their gut bucket blues

His brush jazzed their gin.

He painted their bleary eyes

And tired feet

Marching

Riding

Walking

Hoboing

To Freedomland.

copyright David Cooper 2014