Unshakeable

I once heard a story

about the unshakeable hope of a little girl

who runs to the window while the train is still in motion

presses her nose against the glass

and begins to count the number of buildings and bird wings

How exhilarating it is to lose track of time on the tracks

How beautiful the sound of the wheels rumbling beneath her feet

As the train begins to plummet into a new kind of darkness

the clouds and sea are agitated by a treacherous storm

but the rain and wind cannot derail the courage tied up in her firmly planted little shoes

So the train moves on

with the speed of a thousand eagles

the steadfastness of a million skyscrapers

and the unshakeable hope of one little girl