Life To Live

Where have all the cabooses gone, Red slab sided, cupola, curved roof, Friendly stove pipe hat, every kids wish, Moveable tree house clickety-clacking Cozily rolling across America Snappy visored cap, brass buttons Blue coat, wind whipped leaning out One hand on the stanchion Waving an all clear lantern, nights shining arc Then crack, all along the line each Snapping to attention each car in its turn With a rattle rattle, huff and puff Away it roars into childhood. A memory of something important, An ancient fondness now focused A connection across the years A tear, a smile for that railroading boy Those years lavished, gone borrowed money And now the dollars have all been spent But the secret stays in the heart of hearts. Oh, I wish to go back to those days, To see the world for the first time, In all its glory, the glory of a life yet to live.