I stepped onto the train, empty

suitcase in my hand.

In a carriage full of dreams,

I took a seat next to no one,

bound for the borderlands.

Two days swiftly passed,

yet I knew

the nights were still to come.

The conductor called,

Border.

No permit, no entry.

Last stop.

 

It’s just a shot away
It’s just a shot away

 

It was cold there at the border.

I shouted your name, bitter

winds blew strong.

Red desert sand stung

my face,

& I knew that the gates were locked.

I stood close to the wire, empty

suitcase in my hand.

I stared into the dense darkness,

bright stars frozen in the sky.

 

Gimme, gimme shelter
Or I’m gonna fade away

 

Night had finally fallen,

even though you told me the sun

always shines if you’re cool,

& I was trying so hard to be so hip.

At the border, I hollered your name,

but my Hollywood sunglasses

helped me to see

you were not there,

just a shout away,

at the border,

like you promised you would be.

 

It’s just a shot away
It’s just a shot away

 

Go home lady, catch the next train,

the conductor he kindly spoke.

No permit, no entry. And he’s not even there.

Try again tomorrow, or maybe next year.

Empty suitcases get no one nowhere

Lady you should know that by now.

Lady only a loving heart will let you in.

Lady a loving heart is your key.

I waited on the platform, empty

suitcase in my hand.

The train whistled low &

I took my seat next to no one,

bound for the southern seas.

The train pulled out slowly,

but I turned to look back.

Something?

A mirage?

But no,

it was you.

I whispered your name.

I stood and waved

& you waved back,

like a signalman,

you smiled wide and wild,

diamonds flashing in your teeth.

High on the hill,

you had built a campfire,

blazing red against the black sky.

 

It’s just a kiss away
It’s just a kiss away

 

You were there, waiting for me,

just a touch away,

at the border,

like you promised you would be.

 

Kiss away, kiss away

 

 

Stereo Story #745

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Widely published, Mary's creative work appears in literary journals and anthologies in Australia and internationally. Ten years living and working in the Australian outback provided rich inspiration for Mary’s debut novel The Hard Seed, published in 2018 by Ginninderra Press.