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Railroad Boy

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,
Those years gone like borrowed money
And now the dollars have all been spent
But the secret stays in the heart                                                                                An ancient fondness now focused
A connection across the years
Tears and a smile for that railroad boy

Copyright © | Year Posted 2010




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Date: 12/17/2010 7:09:00 AM
sounds like fun....I used tolove the red cabose and look for it as a child but did not get to see them much. I see now they have brought them back on alot of trains.
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Date: 11/30/2010 8:06:00 AM
i love the tree house. .nostalgic and very sweet memories are. .lovely.
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Date: 11/30/2010 7:33:00 AM
Nice tribute You have paid to railroad boy , James
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Date: 11/29/2010 12:04:00 PM
"Those years gone like borrowed money And now the dollars have all been spent"-- OMGoodness! Don't overreact. I like this poem, you're a great story teller, keep the reader with you, use wonderful words and images! I deliberately took time aside to develop visual/sense qualities but have poems I like as well written before ...don't throw the babies out with the bathwater!And I felt the end of your poem here was not as strong as the rest- it IS a strong poem-and might need a tweak or two!
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Book: Reflection on the Important Things