Joliet Union Blues
© 2004 W.A. Kostelec
Railroad Boy
The old station sits silent in the morning sunlight
Limestone walls cut from a quarry downstream
The windows are sooty and filter the dawning
Leftover from midnight when the last train rolled in
The tracks run together at the flat prairie horizon
It’s all in the mystery of riding the train
This is where I departed and it’s where I’m arriving
This old Amtrak’s still running but I’m home again
Joliet Union shines gold in the morning
A Temple to Travel where the pilgrims all come
When you stand in the lobby you stand at the crossroads
You can sell your soul to the Devil
Or buy cigarettes and gum
A century ago came the disembarking
Of the old and the young from the faraway lands
And up from the South came the Deep country Black folks
Just to work in the factories and part from the Klan
It’s South to St. Louis or North to Chicago
For daily commuters or souls on the run
For families with children and travelers solo
For those at the station who just look for someone
Joliet Union shines gold in the morning
A Temple to Travel where the pilgrims all come
When you stand in the lobby you stand at the crossroads
You can sell your soul to the Devil
Or buy cigarettes and gum
