19 June Berkeley

by Clifford Fyman

Norman Cross, P.O. Box 442
Kettie, Ca, suggests we become
“road partners” when we meet
yesterday on the freight train
to Oroville from Winnemucca.
He used to be a railroad man
now collects retirement checks
and has spent his time roaming
“all over this here area”
fifteen years, or two years after
his wife dies.
A suitcase holds his dress slacks.
He hops mostly grain cars
with room enough to stretch out
and the heavy weight provides
a smooth comfortable ride.
He knows when a tunnel is coming
how long it will be
and in total darkness all I can see
is a red glow
his cigarette.

I should travel to Kettie where we’ll
camp along the river,
pan gold, search for
quartz and other precious stones
Norman sells in San Jose
and he says he’ll show me survival
techniques like trout–fishing
with hooked string, and how to boil water
in a wine bottle.