Late at night
to early morning
the train station

Rodents run rails
men in lines of fours, fives
and against the rules
alone

Wrapped tight
against the November cold
an oil faced worker

Marching up the down line
he counts out loud
bending periodically
to spray paint a sleeper

Oh can you hear
the tootin’ of the whistle?

Paul Conneally
Loughborough 2013