How Long

I get carried along after midnight
In the sound of the train on the tracks
Where the rails run alongside the river
And the water can never come back
And the headlight is scanning the valley
As the valley runs South from town
And it wakes me where I have been sleeping
With my window shade pulled down
If my window’s a mile from the river
And if the engine sounds deep and low
Then how long 'till I feel any closer
To what’s rumbling in my soul?
How Long? Feeling it every day
How Long? It’s always a ways away
How deep is the river that’s flowing?
How strong is the pull downstream?
How far is the train engine going?
How long have I had the same dream?
Is there something that moves like a river
Is there something that pulls like a train
Is there something that rumbles in darkness
And I don’t even know it by name
Is there some way to measure the distance
Was it close to my heart all along
And what is the voice that keeps asking
How strong, how far, how long