The train rocks back and forth
On the edge of the Earth, it seems.
Valley and falls below,
And above us, snowy white peaks.
Deeper into the unknown we trek,
But we do not know how to rest.
We are pilgrims of the modern era,
Social media taught us how to see.
We are pioneers of the common day,
Striving for the perfect angle, and self-discovery.
We flip foreign currency in our hands,
Markers of our dual and daily intentions.
One side the clean, admirable, and brave;
The other grimy, contrived, and out of place.
We march in our black winter boots
Over cobblestones older than our traceable roots,
Wearing down the stones underneath,
In search of an encounter with ourselves.
We are pilgrims of the modern era,
Pinterest taught us how to see.
We are pioneers of the common day,
Our goal is a shiny and new, windblown face.
We drink up our cappuccinos,
The fuel to dig deeper into ourselves –
And to reach for that next photo op too.
Endlessly catching trains at ungodly hours,
Gazing up and out of our boxes;
Endlessly learning about the world and ourselves,
Staring into mirrors of train window glass.
We seek what is fake,
But in an admirable way.
Perhaps it’s the other way around;
It’s hard to tell these days.
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Contact Hattie Pace by email: hattie.pace@pepperdine.edu
Follow Currents Magazine on Twitter: @PeppCurrents and Instagram: @currentsmagazine
