STRANG LINE REVISITED

Santa Fe, not the Santa Fe
Cruise street in Olathe
Where teenagers plow
into each other in SUV’s
But Santa Fe in Overland Park
That Santa Fe, once connected to Olathe
With rail tracks and
A train
A light rail train.
A speedy humane way
To travel distant places.
Cheap too. No working just
To support our cars
Giving up food to put
Gas in the tank.

No!

Now we look at light rail again
In Missouri
In Kansas City

And we can imagine our
Dream loop
From both Santa Fe’s, from Overland Park and Olathe,



Meeting we reach other
At 435.

Rounding the bend
Chugging along to a Chiefs’ game
Passing by that devilish triangle
Where 435 meets 470 meets Grandview
That triangle
Where cars delayed make parking lots
Now.

Where road rage
Clouds the mind
And murderous thoughts combine
With exhaust.

But a dream of light rail, yes!
An easy way to see the Chiefs
To cheer the Royals
To visit the Plaza.
To stop off at the zoo.

Pretend we’re Chicago for a change
Do it right.
Just do it light.