Whitman Waits Along the Road for Lincoln to Pass by James Devitt The carriage approaches, draws near where I stand, its wheels binding in the rutted road, its great pale horses straining to pull it onward. What strange solidarity summons me here to await its occupant? This man, richly steeped in King James English and Euclidian geometry. A parallel of structure, an architecture divine. Attired in black, stiff funeral wear. Summoned to provide over a people's sorrow. Such a long, long journey it seems—from Cooper Union to Gettysburg. The sight, and scent, of lilacs, blooming mockingly in the sunlight. O Captain, my Captain! What kind of leader is this? He has come not to bind but to cleave and to rend. Brother against brother, father against son—master against slave. And here stand I, poet and madman; white garbed, bearded, like a bard of ancient and forgotten days; or a Judaic prophet, too fresh from the mount and the whirlwind and the ineffable I Am, standing here the fool, as he nods solemnly and his carriage passes me by, bound for summer haven. All content in SmokeLong Quarterly copyright 2003-2008 by its authors.
	James Devitt lives with a dog and three quirky cats in The City of Thunderbolt, GA where the people are striking and the bugs are outgoing. He is currently at work on a low carb novel which he hopes to make into a musical. Read the interview.
	Issue Seven (December 15, 2004): Being Frank by Randall Brown «» Axl Rose Is My Dog by Scott Ford «» Falling by M. Lynx Qualey «» Revival Season by Saundra Mitchell «» Noises by Grant Bailie «» Head Case by Steve Dunn «» Aluminum by Gary Cadwallader «» Tornadoes by Paul A. Toth «» Cracks by Ann Walters «» Three-Second Angels by Judd Hampton «» Love and Murder by Rusty Barnes «» Not The Real Jesus Christ by Bob Thurber «» Three Blind Elephants Met a Man by Alexandra Fox «» Whitman Waits Along the Road for Lincoln to Pass by James Devitt «» All Over Again by Tom Jackson «» The Colour of Slate by Roderick Leyland «» Salt by Andrew Bomback «» The Road to a Place I Did Not Know by David H. S. Hubert «» Interviews: Randall Brown «» Scott Ford «» M. Lynx Qualey «» Saundra Mitchell «» Grant Bailie «» Steve Dunn «» Gary Cadwallader «» Paul A. Toth «» Ann Walters «» Judd Hampton «» Rusty Barnes «» Bob Thurber «» Alexandra Fox «» James Devitt «» Tom Jackson «» Roderick Leyland «» Andrew Bomback «» David H. S. Hubert «» Cover Art "Disillusionment and Metamorphosis" by Marty D. Ison «» Letter From the Editor