She set her jaw and her hat,

The train,

Indignant when we said she was too old to go so far.

“What if you died on the train?”

Red cherries quivered on her hat;

She asked us: “Could you think of a better life,”

“watching the miles click away?”

The train.

She left St. Paul with her tinned tomatoes and a basket of her own fried chicken wings,

And a whole fresh raisin pie.

The train.

As she rides she dreams,

Remembers, and celebrates:

Alleluia.

Kneading, punching, rising, 

punching dough,

Kneading dough,

Setting bread to rise;

Ev’ry day her husband ate a whole raisin pie for lunch!

“Grandma what’s the secret of your pies, your breads?”

“you have to feel when it is right;

When the flour, lard, salt, water altogether in the bowl make pie crust.”

Punching dough, Kneading dough,

Let it rise, punch it down, bake it ’til it’s brown.

Ev’ry day her husband ate a whole raisin pie.

When it's done it will make a hard, hollow sound.

Sewing, turning,

She is pregnant,

Slowly making o’er the priest’s coat for herself.

She is turning old black cloth under her patient hands.

It feels like a sin against her swollen belly,

Wearing her belly like a vestment,

Like a chalice.

Sewing, turning,

She is fearing,

She will surely die of this child, this baby.

Her daughter, the child, riding in a row boat;

She threads the hook,

The eager child leans forward.

In the warm hard haze of the June sun.

The June sun long in the run of time on the figures.

 

The train arrived at her stop Montana.

She had eaten all her tinned tomatoes and her chicken wings.

And a whole fresh raisin pie.

The train.

After her visit with Marge she’d go home;

She would ride the train, and dream,

And celebrate,

Watching the miles click away.

As she rides she dreams,

Remembers, and celebrates:

Alleluia.

Kneading, punching, rising, punching;

Sewing, turning,

Her daughter, the child,

Eager child leans forward.

Riding in a rowboat…

Alleluia.

 

她下定決心，戴上帽子，

火車，

我們說她太老不能走這麼遠，她感到憤慨。

「如果你在火車上死了怎麼辦？」

在她的帽子上的紅櫻桃顫抖；

她問我們：「你能想到更美好的生活嗎？」

「看著道路逐漸消逝？」

火車。

她帶著罐裝西紅柿和一籃子自己的炸雞翅離開聖保羅，

還有一整個新鮮的葡萄乾派。

火車。

當她旅行時，她做了個夢，

憶起並慶祝：

哈利路亞。

揉麵糰，戳孔，發酵，

把麵團戳個洞，

揉麵團，

讓麵包發酵；

每天她的丈夫吃一整個葡萄乾餡餅作為午餐！

「奶奶，你的餡餅、麵包有什麼秘訣？」

「你必須感覺什麼時候是對的；

當麵粉、豬油、鹽、水放入碗中，會成為餡餅皮。」

把麵團戳個洞，揉麵團，

讓它發酵，戳個洞，烘烤直到它變成棕色。

她的丈夫每天吃完整個葡萄乾派。

當它完成，會發出堅硬空洞的聲音。

縫紉，翻面，

她懷孕了，

慢慢為自己製作牧師的外套。

她那充滿耐心的手翻轉舊的黑布。

對她腫脹的肚子感覺像是一種罪惡，

像背心一樣包著她的肚子，

像一個酒杯。

縫紉，翻面，

她很害怕，

她肯定會因這孩子而死，這孩子。

她的女兒，孩子，坐在划艇上；

她勾起了釣魚鉤，

熱切的孩子向前傾。

在六月陽光的溫暖陰霾中。

六月的太陽長時間曬著他們。

 

火車抵達蒙大拿州。

她吃了所有罐裝西紅柿和雞翅。

還有一整個新鮮的葡萄乾派。

火車。

她暫住在瑪吉家後，她要回家；

她會坐火車，做夢，

並慶祝，

看著路逐漸消逝。

當她旅行時，她做了個夢，

憶起並慶祝：

哈利路亞。

揉捏，戳孔，發酵，戳孔；

縫紉，翻面，

她的女兒，孩子，

渴望的孩子向前傾。

乘坐划艇......

哈利路亞。