A Different Kind Of Speaking

There’s a gap
between the aluminum,
double-pane windows
that buzz and rattle
as the freight train
squeals through the city.
Imperfect and original,
kept in place by
rusted screws,
they hang in our building
just north of the tracks.
A strong wind can shake them,
and when they speak
they remind me
of the gap
between the man I am
and the man I will be
and the rattle of the train
which keeps me honest.