Dead Mans Curve
The old steam engine chugged trying to reach the top,
Slowly it inched as the pressure valves were about to pop.
Just a few more feet and it would start its journey down,
And it would then be up to the brakeman to keep them from over shooting the town.
Well it made the top and started picking up speed,
And they slowed down the shoveling of the coal, cause there wasn’t much need.
You could hear those brakes a squealing as they tightened the wheel,
They had to get her slowed down fore the next curve or they’d all take a spill.
About that time dead ahead on those tracks,
Another train was a coming, a clickety, clack.
The old engineer was a blowing on his whistle, whoo, whoo, but to no avail,
For twas a runaway train, with an engine from hell.
A hundred thousand tons of steel, slamming together, makes an awful loud noise,
An on that curve took the lives of that crew, all mighty fine boys.
They had no place to jump, so they had to make this final ride,
And as the news gave way their womenfolk cried.
Copyright © Ronald Bingham | Year Posted 2009
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