Lost

Heading home, bone-weary,
riding on the last train for the northeast line
with his eyes closed, his mind fading out on itself
one dark memory falling into the next,
collapsing into dream. From within,
the doubts emerge, one by one, like small,
implacable stars, tugging at each other
from distances impossible to resolve,
until that sudden light, at tunnel’s
end, breaks into consciousness,
the doors sliding open, the last passengers
shuffling out, as he wakes to see that
he’s gone too far again, missed his stop
searching for himself on the
way back home.