He heard the train running through town. Sounded like a thunder storm. Snow was flying. Kids waited at the corner bus stop. Same thing every morning; traffic backed up as the train rolled on.

These sounds, noises he heard. Water heater turning up. Dishwasher going. Birds outside looking for crumbs of bread. He didn’t look out his windows. Just sat there listening. It had become his pass time.

The arms were rising and bells rang. The train had moved on. The humming of diesels and old pickups starting up. All this noise outside. These sounds inside. All while humming along to Stars Fell On Alabama by Coltrane ran through his head.

Then everything stopped. There were no more noises. He didn’t hear anything. That was twenty-five years ago. He remembered hearing on that last day. Then gone.

Life changes. It changes us, he whispered. What I wouldn’t do to hear Coltrane one more time.