The hobo strikes brick dust from a torn jacket. His lucky cap—lost to Sana Anas. In his youth, he could roll out cabooses with grace. Leap for spirits—free stew. Today’s departure includes neither. Simply a glorious sight worth risking every limb. Railroad ties spike worn soles. Industrial plants belch noxious gas—the sky, cobalt. This monochrome helped his good eye wander, aboard. He huffs onward, craving a smoke, panning for the sight: a memory of rough dock days. Bloody hands. Fat stevedore checks to feed Helen and the brood. Their bungalow in Pedro. The Mexican Fan Palm out front. That time it bloomed, soft blond petals crowning bright green bristles: a firework to their endless joys. He pauses, crooked fingers clawing stubble. An aura rises behind a defunct depot. Another palm: a phoenix—bursting gold in the heart of this wasteland. He chokes. Better than an old photograph. Rarer than a regretless day.

Nolan Knight is the author of The Gorgon of Los Feliz, Gallows Dome, The Neon Lights Are Veins, and Beneath the Black Palms. He is a fourth generation Angeleno and former staff writer for Los Angeles’ Biggest Music Publication, the L.A. Record. His short fiction has been featured in various publications including Akashic Books, Thuglit, Shotgun Honey, Starlite Pulp, and Action, Spectacle. His work has been met with praise by luminaries such as Barry Gifford, James Sallis, Allison Anders, and Lydia Lunch. He lives in Long Beach.