Epitaphs

Their names are written on the sides Of boxcars in which they hook rides. Their names also appear on shacks Along the miles of railroad tracks.

I have often wondered why it’s so, And now at last I think I know; The reason why their names appear, Is due to wistfulness, it’s clear.

For hoboes are lonely, vagrant souls, Without real roots and clear-cut goals, Who long to leave some lasting sign To prove they, too, shared Life’s design.