The sound of the train through

the countryside lulls you to sleep

a watercolor landscape

flying past the draped window

i tell you i hate the sound

of modern trains

old ones are fine.

the high-pitched hum

of a subway

also

hits a nerve

hearing fingers typing on a smith corona

grounds me

while the computer keyboard

makes my skin crawl

you remind me that i don’t

like the sound of single engine

planes

but helicopters are okay

especially the big ones.

who knows why certain sounds

hurt our insides

why the smell of skunk

reminds me of earl grey tea

and i like it

or

horse manure excites

the senses

while lilies make me violent.

the train rattles quietly

but rhythmically

you sleep

while i think of sounds

that upset me.