Ray Dillard Poet Free verse

Notes About The Poem

The contest title remains listed as the title for this poem. The original title was, 'Passage of a Queen'. Trains will always remain "transportation royalty". Just look at their part in building our country. The poem was born when I heard the faint sound of a train's horn as I was feeding one morning. A change of title made it perfect for the contest.  RAY

What Am I

I pause and listen
To your distant lonely call.
Long and low it pushes 
Through the stillness of
The early morning air
To trumpet your arrival.
A disturbance to the sunrise
That is waking here. 
It whispers to the ear
That knows your song.

An announcement, an invitation
To meet you at the crossing
Where flashing lights, like soldiers
Make us bow.
And colored arms, like sabers
Fall from attention
To protect your call.

Twelve –hundred horses’ nostrils flare,
Huff and puff their acrid air.
Steel shoes clatter as they rumble
Along your private path.
Your wealth follows on carts
That rattle as they roll.
A strand of pearls
That speaks a message
From a place I’ll never know.
Cyrillic and artistic,
Sung as love notes from a lark.
A serenade to caress you as you slept.
Sung by men who joined the caravan 
And later disembarked.
I feel compelled to count them
Then their romance sings 
A rainbow to my heart.
Each message is a picture
Drawn by men that love you
As a colored canvas
Waving with the wind.
And when you pass,
My world is still again.

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Old Buck June 24, 2018 at 3:10 PM Ray: I'm sure this would be a "Sheldon Cooper" favorite but I liked it too. Keep them coming. oldbuck

Elijah Malcom February 16, 2016 at 9:07 AM Congrates great poem!

Susan Gentry February 13, 2016 at 8:36 PM Congratulations on your win! Extraordinarily beautiful, well-written...

DM Babbit February 11, 2016 at 9:22 AM Just beautiful.

Carrie Richards February 10, 2016 at 12:52 PM I'm so pleased to see that this was a top winner!! It is so deserving !!! Well done, Ray !!!

Daniel Turner February 10, 2016 at 4:52 AM Congratulations for taking top prize with this amazing write.

Dineen Williams Gault February 10, 2016 at 12:18 AM You paint quite a vision with your wonderfully descriptive language. Congratulations!

Poet Destroyer A February 9, 2016 at 11:49 PM Hi Ray, thank you for the super XOOL Who AM I Support. A delight and head scratching contest. Always & Forever ~LINDA~

Skat A February 9, 2016 at 11:30 PM Ray, Congrats on the who I am taks! Thanks for supporting another PD contest. through SK

Carrie Richards February 7, 2016 at 3:05 PM Oh my goodness, Ray! This poem I think must be one of your best that I've read! I would love to know what inspired this one! It's good to see you writing more !! Ray Dillard February 7, 2016 at 7:28 PM Would you believe, a lone horn from a great distance when I was feeding early one morning. Got it worked out before I came back in the house. Thanks for reading and commenting. You know I respect your opinion.

Sara Kendrick February 2, 2016 at 4:14 PM Reads like a winner for the contest..I can't guess what you are though..Maybe a king in flight..Thanks for the visit to my page..I appreciate the time spent there..Sara

Andrea Dietrich February 2, 2016 at 3:53 PM Amazing poetry, Ray. you are at the top of your form here!!

Arthur Vaso February 1, 2016 at 3:50 PM Sent you a soup mail!

Charles Henderson January 31, 2016 at 9:58 PM Ah---Ray this is the one I have been waiting for. Good, good poem. Thank you.

Arthur Vaso January 31, 2016 at 12:09 AM I really enjoyed this, it was posted on the Poetry chat site! thats how I came across this fine piece! Ray Dillard January 31, 2016 at 9:23 AM Thanks Art. I'm glad you liked it. Where is the site? How did it get there?

Tim Smith January 30, 2016 at 12:02 AM What a terrific poem Ray. I really enjoyed it.